For many, losing a tooth can feel deeply personal. Teeth make up our smile, help us digest food, and even determine the tone of our voice. That’s why humans have been finding ways to replace teeth for thousands of years. Archaeologists in Honduras during the 1930s discovered the skull of a woman born thousands of years ago who had lodged a seashell into her jawbone, and several depictions of tooth replacement methods involving gold wire have been discovered in ancient Egypt. If you’ve lost a tooth today, however, you’ll find that tooth replacement methods have come along way. Modern dental implants are known to have a 98 percent success rate, and, when cared for properly, can last a lifetime.
If you’ve recently lost teeth, you may consider dental implants as the treatment for you.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are now one of the most used tooth replacement treatments. What makes them so effective is not just their design but the way they cooperate with the body. Through the process of osseointegration, a term used to refer to the integration between living tissue and an implant, dental implants form a bond with the jawbone that mimics that of an actual tooth root. Comprised of the titanium implant and a ceramic crown, first the implant is surgically inserted into the jaw bone and given time to heal, and then the crown is added to complete the process.
Dental Implant Benefits
- Natural Appearance and Functionality
- Natural Look and Feel: Dental implants closely resemble natural teeth, enhancing your smile.
- Stable Fit: Anchored securely to the jawbone, implants do not slip or shift like dentures, allowing for clear speech and easy eating.
- Restoration of Chewing and Speaking Abilities: Implants enable you to enjoy a variety of foods and communicate effectively without discomfort.
- Secure Attachment
- Connection to Jawbone: Dental implants mimic the function of natural tooth roots, providing a secure fit that prevents falling out, thereby maintaining your diet.
- Versatile Replacement Options: Implants can replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or an entire mouth, offering flexibility in treatment.
- Long-lasting and Low Maintenance
- Durability: Made from strong materials like titanium, dental implants can last a lifetime.
- Ease of Maintenance: Unlike traditional dentures, implants require no special cleaning beyond regular oral hygiene, including brushing and flossing.
- Preservation of Oral Health
- Bone Preservation: Implants stimulate the jawbone, preventing bone loss that occurs with missing teeth. This is crucial for maintaining facial structure and supporting surrounding natural teeth.
- Overall Oral Health: By preserving the bone structure, dental implants help maintain the integrity of your facial appearance and promote overall oral health.
- Psychological and Confidence Boost
- Improved Self-Esteem: Restoring your smile with dental implants enhances self-confidence and mental well-being.
- Social Interaction: A full set of teeth positively impacts social interactions and alleviates feelings of depression or anxiety associated with tooth loss.
- High Success Rate
- Reliability: Dental implants boast a success rate of 90 to 100 percent, making them a trusted choice for tooth replacement.
Are You Ready For Dental Implants?
While many know that losing teeth can cause bone loss in the jaw, sometime changing the appearance of the cheeks, it seems that tooth loss can also be linked to depression and anxiety. If you’ve been feeling embarrassed about your smile, learn how replacing your missing teeth with implants can help you. Please call our Anchorage implant dentist at (907) 349-0022 today.