Dental implants are the answer if you want a more permanent solution to tooth loss. As many as five hundred thousand people decide to get dental implants each year just in the United States. Dental implants are brightening smiles in most developed countries. How long can people expect their implants to last, though?
What Are Dental Implants?
Simply put, a dental implant is a prosthetic root for a tooth. The root is the part embedded into the jaw bone to stabilize the tooth. When someone suffers from tooth loss, that root either comes out on its own, or the dentist must go in and remove it to prevent the patient from getting a potentially life-threatening infection.
With an implant in place, a Lovett Dental Jersey Village dental professional can attach a crown to the artificial root to replace the missing natural tooth. In total, dental implants require an artificial root, a crown, and an abutment to secure the crown.
Are Dental Implants Made of Metal?
There are several different types of dental implants. The most common, though, are implants made of titanium. This type of metal post tends to resist damage, and it integrates with the bone in the jaw well.
There are metal-free options as well. Zirconia implants are a type of ceramic post. They are a practical choice for patients that might have trouble with a metal implant due to a sensitivity or allergy.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
There are other ways to replace missing teeth, such as dentures or bridges, but implants offer something they don’t. Implants stay in just like a natural tooth. You have to remove dentures and bridges to clean them.
Generally, dental implants offer:
- A more natural appearance
- Improved speech
- Enhanced comfort
- A chance to eat just about anything
- Better oral hygiene
They also tend to be more durable than dentures or bridges that can break or get lost easily.
How Are Implants Put in Place?
An oral or maxillofacial surgeon does a simple procedure to place the post, and then a dentist can attach the crown. The surgeon places the implant post into the jaw. Over time, the post will fuse with the bone just like a tooth root through an organic process called osseointegration. The bone grows around the post to secure it and make it stronger.
Once fused, the dentist can put in the artificial tooth. They come in different formats. For a single tooth replacement, a dental professional will likely custom make a crown to ensure it fits right. For multiple teeth in a row, the replacement will be more like a bridge connected to two implanted posts.
How Long Do Implants Last?
Many factors go into determining the dental implant lifespan, but it is a long-term solution for most people. They have impressive success rates. For many patients, they will last a lifetime with proper care, which includes brushing and flossing.
Finding the right dental practice can help. Lovett Dental Jersey Village is a multidisciplinary dentistry practice. In other words, it’s a place the whole family can come to get the high-quality dental care that keeps teeth healthy, whether your six or sixty.
Lovett Dental Jersey Village offers six forms of specialty care options, including:
- Pediatric
- Orthodontics
- Periodontics
- Maxillofacial surgury
- Endodontics
Learn More About Dental Implants Today at Lovett Dental Jersey Village
Patients come to our outstanding team for everything from teeth cleaning to implants. As a patient at Lovett Dental Jersey Village, you have access to some of the top cosmetic dental professionals in the state for your implant procedure.
If you are someone you love is looking to replace missing or diseased teeth, give our staff at Lovett Dental Jersey Village a call at 281-890-5002.
