Dental implants completely restore lost teeth and offer an excellent, long-term tooth replacement option. If you've been thinking about filling the gaps in your smile, your Wilmington, DE, dentist, Dr. Laura Dougherty of Dougherty Dental Solutions, can help you decide if implants are a good choice for you.
How dental implants work
Dental implants, unlike bridges and dentures, replace both the roots and crowns of missing teeth. The implant process starts when titanium posts are added to openings made in your jawbone during minor oral surgery. During the next three to six months, the posts bond to your jawbone and become strong enough to serve as the roots for your new teeth.
Crowns, made from an impression of your mouth, are connected to the top of dental crowns. Your new crowns not only improve your appearance but restore your biting and chewing ability.
Who can benefit from implants
Implants can be a good option if:
- You don't like the change in your smile: Tooth loss causes dramatic changes, even if the lost tooth isn't in a visible location. Losing or one or more teeth may make you feel self-conscious about your smile or make chewing and biting difficult. Your other teeth can also shift after tooth loss. If they begin to overlap, your appearance can change even more, and your bite may even be affected. Implants restore lost teeth and prevent other teeth from shifting.
- You don't want to lose biting power: Biting power can suffer if your restoration only replaces the tops of teeth. Fortunately, implants won't decrease your ability to bite, chew, tear and grind a variety of hard and tough foods.
- You want a restoration that will last: In most cases, dental implants never need to be replaced. Once the bonding process is complete, the titanium post is permanently attached to your jawbone. If you opt for a bridge or dentures, you'll need to replace these restorations every 10 to 15 years or longer.
- You want a flexible option: You can replace one tooth with a dental implant, restore multiple teeth with an implant-supported bridge, or replace all of your teeth with implant-supported dentures.
Are you ready to restore your smile with dental implants? Contact your dentist in Wilmington, DE, Dr. Laura Dougherty of Dougherty Dental Solutions, at (302) 475-3270 to schedule your appointment.