If you have lost one or more teeth due to injury, disease, decay, or another reason, tooth implants may be one solution to discuss with your Santa Monica dentist. Tooth implants are actually artificial teeth, complete with an artificial root, placed into or on top of your jaw. These implants replace teeth that you have lost and also can hold a replacement tooth or bridge. While many patients tend to shy away from tooth implants at first, assuming that they are far more complex than bridges or bonding, tooth implants can actually be healthier for your mouth, since they do not depend on nearby teeth for support, the way the bridges do.
Many patients also like the fact that tooth implants are very natural looking and feeling. They are the closest thing to replacing the tooth and forgetting that you have suffered tooth loss. If you have spaces for missing teeth, you may feel embarrassed about smiling and may have difficulty chewing your food. Dentures and other temporary replacements can feel insecure and can sap your confidence and make it more difficult to chew. Even more permanent solutions such as bridges tend to deteriorate over time and can fall out. Tooth implants are simply the most sure method of replacing a lost tooth. Unlike bridges and bonding, tooth implants can last a lifetime when they are taken care of correctly and are placed by a professional dentist.
Implants are an exciting alternative to dentures, and there are actually two types of implants used today. Endosteal implants are placed in the bone and are the most commonly used implants today. In this type of implant, blades, screws, or cylinders are placed into the actual jawbone, and each of these implants can hold a prosthetic tooth or even more than one tooth. This type of implant is ideal for those who want to avoid removable dentures or bridges. However, your jaw bone needs to be healthy and there needs to be enough of it to hold the implant securely. Subperiosteal implants are not placed within the jawbone. Instead, they are placed on top of the jaw. The posts of the metal framework that support the implants poke through the gum to hold the prosthetic teeth. These are less often used, and are generally used with patients who have inadequate jaw bone height for Endosteal implants.
In order to be a candidate for dental implants, you should have healthy gum tissue and should have a mouth that is free of gum disease. The jawbone in your mouth also needs to be healthy and needs to provide adequate support for the implant and prosthetic tooth. You dentist can tell you whether your jawbone is in good enough shape to make you a candidate for implants. If you’d like to speak to a professional about implants or other procedures, contact West LA Dental today. Our professional team has the expertise to make your smile bright again!