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Dental Implants
Self-conscious when you smile or talk due to a missing tooth? Is a missing tooth having a negative effect on your eating habits? The gaps created by missing teeth can cause hygiene problems as well as affect the way you close your teeth come together which can affect the manner in which your jaw closes. The teeth adjacent to the missing tooth can start to tilt and drift into the gap causing a chain reaction throughout the mouth. These changes to the relationship between the upper and lower teeth can cause occlusal problems; thus starting the cycle of temporomandibular disorder.
In addition to the obvious cosmetic drawbacks to a missing tooth, tooth loss can also affect your facial structure. As soon as a tooth is lost the supporting bone in the jaw begins to dissolve. This process is called resorption . The longer the tooth is missing the greater the bone loss. This bone loss can contribute to the aged look of the face.
 Dental implants offer some significant advantages over other tooth replacement options. Implants are composed of three parts: the titanium implant that fuses with the jawbone; the abutment, which fits over the portion of the implant that protrudes from the gum line; and the crown, which is fitted onto the abutment.
The fusing of the titanium implant with the jawbone helps retain the supporting bone in the jaw and reduces or eliminates the bone loss associated with tooth loss. The implant, which functions as an artificial tooth root, provides stability and strength to the attached abutment and crown. Unlike the fixed bridge option, dental implants do not require any preparation to the adjacent teeth thus preserving their structure and integrity.
The single greatest advantage of the dental implant is the most important; it looks, feels and functions like a natural tooth.
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