Dental implants have soared in popularity in recent years as more people learn about the benefits they offer, especially in comparison to dentures and bridges. Featuring a metal post attached to a tooth-like crown, implants can be used to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth, depending on your needs.
Minal Patel, DDS, is a skilled provider of state-of-the-art dental implants for patients at Park Place Smiles. If you’re nervous about your upcoming implant visit, this post can help eliminate your fears and highlight some of the benefits you can expect afterward.
If you’re nervous about getting an implant, it can be helpful to think about all the benefits your new implant can offer.
A dental implant is designed like a natural tooth, which means it looks, feels, and functions like a natural tooth. While dentures and bridges rest on top of your gums, implants use a metal post that serves as an artificial root, securing the crown just like a natural root secures a tooth.
Anchoring the implant to your jawbone also means your new implant stays very secure. While dentures can slip and slide (usually at the most embarrassing times), an implant stays put, even when you eat sticky or crunchy foods. No slippage also means no sore spots or potential infections that can occur with ill-fitting dentures — and no need for adjustments, either.
Bone tissue replenishes itself over time, with old tissue being replaced by new, healthy tissue. In your jaws, that replacement cycle depends on stimulation from natural tooth roots. When a tooth is missing, the root is gone, too, and eventually, the bone becomes too weak to support neighboring teeth.
With an implant, the metal post acts like a natural tooth root to stimulate the bone replacement cycle. That means your jawbone stays healthy and strong, helping the prevention of additional tooth loss in the future.
Finally, dental implants can be a big confidence booster. Your smile is one of the first features most people notice. Implants help your smile look natural, beautiful, and healthy, so you feel confident every time you smile, speak, or share a meal with friends.
Dental implant placement typically requires two visits. At the first visit, Dr. Patel inserts the implant post into your jawbone through a small incision made in your gum. If you’re having a tooth removed at the same visit, she places the post after extracting the damaged tooth. Dr. Patel is skilled in pain-relief techniques, so you can feel confident about being comfortable throughout your treatment.
Once the post is in place, it fuses with your natural jawbone tissue, a process that can take a couple of months. After the fusing process is complete, you’ll come back to the office so we can attach the crown portion of the implant.
Some crowns attach directly to the metal post, while others use a “joining” piece called an abutment. Once the crown is securely attached, your gum tissue heals around the crown over the next few weeks.
Even though an implant can’t get a cavity, the gums surrounding the tooth still need proper care. The good news: You can care for your implants just like you care for your natural teeth, with regular brushing, flossing, and dental checkups.
Dental implants feature advanced technology, so you can enjoy a more beautiful smile and better oral health, too. To learn more about dental implants, call 626-226-1802 or book an appointment online with Park Place Smiles in Glendora, California, today.
