Have you considered dental implants but aren’t quite sure what to expect from your procedure? You aren’t alone: a lot of patients are excited to get their implants but simply aren’t quite sure what exactly they are or what’s involved.
At New Albany Implants we believe that knowing everything about your care is central to being comfortable and prepared for it. If you’ve been wondering about the technical aspects of dental implants then this is a blog post for you. Today we’re going to cover everything about dental implants, how they work, and how they replicate the look, feel, and function of natural teeth.
What Is A Dental Implant?
Implants are made of titanium and mimic the size of a natural tooth root. They are designed to act just like the root of a natural tooth and look like a small, short, stubby screw. Implants are hollow, and the center of them is threaded as well. This allows us to attach any number of different caps, abutments, and appliances.
Titanium is the metal of choice for making dental implants because of how well it bonds to bone. If you’ve ever had a screw placed in a bone, a joint replaced, or any other surgical appliance attached it was probably titanium. The process by which titanium bonds to bone is called osseointegration – titanium is one of the few metals in the world that has this unique ability.
The strength of the bond formed between a dental implant and your jawbone is impressive – in many cases it’s even stronger than the bond between your bone and natural teeth. If maintained properly a dental implant will remain stable for life.
How Implants Are Placed
We described implants as titanium screws above, so we’re guessing it doesn’t take much to make a leap to how they’re placed. As unpleasant as it sounds, implants are screwed into your jaw, where they are allowed to heal and bond to the bone over the course of several months (usually about three).
In the past implants used to be left to heal with a simple abutment cap in place, but that’s not the case anymore. Modern dental implants, whether a single tooth, partial bridge, or full mouth solution, are all restored with a temporary crown or bridge on the same visit they’re placed!
The temporary restoration that you get during the healing process will still look incredibly realistic, but it won’t be anything next to the custom-built one that we make for your final restoration. After healing is complete you’ll have your permanent crown or bridge attached to your implant and you’ll be ready to live with a lifelong, permanent new tooth!
How Do Implants Act Like Teeth?
For dental implants and natural teeth it’s all about disbursing the forces of chewing into your jaw. Now think about traditional tooth replacement and how it distributes force: bridges rely on neighboring teeth and dentures simply shoulder your gums with the burden.
If you’re a denture wearer you know precisely how uncomfortable poor chewing force distribution can be. All that gum irritation, discomfort, and inflammation is caused by putting unnecessary force on soft tissue. That’s exactly what implants try to fix!
From a single implant to our full mouth solutions all the forces of chewing will be put exactly where they need to go: into your bone! Dental implants are comfortable, easy to wear, and fully functional because they disburse force just like natural teeth. When restored with a lifelike crown or bridge from our New Albany office you’ll be ready to enjoy life just like it was before you ever lost a tooth!
Dental Implants: Start Planning Today!
Seeing us for a dental implant roadmap appointment is the first step to getting the smile you deserve. We’ll perform a thorough exam that gives us an incredibly detailed look at your teeth and bone so that we can plan the perfect treatment. Before you know it you’ll be living easy with implants that work just like your natural teeth.
Don’t wait another day with dentures or missing teeth when implants are so easy to obtain. We’re ready to start the process as soon as you are! Make a call to New Albany Implants today by calling (812) 945-7645 or by filling out our online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you soon!