One of the best methods to replace missing teeth is to get dental implants. This method has many advantages over other systems, largely because they act and look much like your natural teeth. Implants are rapidly becoming more popular, too.

What Are Implants?

Dental implants are made of metal, usually titanium that is embedded into your jaw bone. It is a stem, and the bone and gums grow around it to provide stability, just like what happens with your natural teeth. The re-growth takes between three to six months.

After the stem is in place and healing has occurred, a cap is placed on top of the stem. This is anchored on the stem and it is permanent. The new crown will match the color of your existing teeth and it looks natural. They can also be used to replace one tooth, several teeth, or even all of them.

Is Surgery Necessary?

In some cases, if your jawbone is thin or weak, the dentist may perform bone grafting surgery to ensure it will hold. This may take place sometime before the implant can be installed. Once that has healed, the dentist will put the stem in place. In some cases, if the bone is not real weak, it may be done at the same time.

Bone Grafts

Bone is taken from your body elsewhere, or synthetic bone may also be used, and it is used to replace bone in your jaw that was destroyed or greatly weakened by periodontitis. Replacing the bone enables there to be a solid place for your teeth.

Similar in purpose to bone grafts, bone surgery smooths out the craters in the bone created by moderate to advanced bone loss. This will follow flap surgery and it is designed to reduce the surfaces where bacteria can accumulate and start to create more damage.

Guided tissue regeneration

In this procedure, when bone has been destroyed that support your teeth, a piece of mesh is put in place between the tissue of your gums and bone. This step is taken to prevent your gums from growing into the place where the bone should be. Special proteins are also added that will encourage bone growth.

Advantages of Implants

The first main advantage of implants is that they are not going to slip when you are talking. This can give you greater confidence when you need to talk to someone, or to a group of people. You never have to worry about pastes or any such thing to hold them in place.

A second benefit is that they enable you to eat almost anything. You can enjoy your favorite foods, but you likely want to stay away from foods or candies that are very hard.

They are also very durable. Other options, such as bridges, may last up to 10 years, but implants can last the rest of your life, making them the ideal value for the cost.

Another advantage is that implants will look and feel like your own teeth. You can relax when others see your teeth because you will be proud to wear them. They will also help you to retain the natural appearance of your face, which does not happen with bridges or dentures.

You can also care for your implanted teeth just like your natural teeth. You brush them and floss them just like your own teeth. No need to put them in a glass at night.

Follow-up Appointments

After surgery, the dentist will most likely recommend that you have ongoing appointments for dental cleaning. These will likely be about three months apart because that is about how long it takes for the bacteria to regrow.

In cases where there has been serious damage, the visits will likely need to be more frequent. When patients are more committed to continue with daily care of their teeth – brushing and flossing – the appointments are apt to be less often.

After the surgery, the dentist will provide advise on how to properly care for your teeth in order to help protect them. Still, it is possible for it to recur after surgery. Constant care will need to be maintained routinely so that you will be able to keep your teeth.

The dentists at Amazing Smile Dental NY will be glad to answer any questions you have about getting dental implants. You can get the beautiful smile you have always wanted with natural looking – and secure – teeth. We offer many dental services for the whole family, and our office is located in the Forest Hills area of Queens, New York. Call us today at (718) 674-6478 to make an appointment.