subject: When Teeth Are Missing Dental Implants Can Help Replace And Restore Your Smile [print this page] According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons suggest that 69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. Even more, by age 74, 26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth. Twenty years ago, these patients would have had no alternative but to employ a fixed bridge or a removable denture to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly and smile. Today dental implants are frequently the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth. Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your dentist will place into the jawbone.
Benefits of Dental Implants and How They Work
Dental implants are replacements for the root portion of your tooth and consist of a threaded titanium screw or post that is surgically placed into the jawbone. By replacing missing tooth roots, implants offer more than an esthetic enhancement, they provide people with the strength and durability required to eat all the foods they love without struggling to chew. There are a number of restorative options for the treatment of missing teeth, but none have proven to be as functionally effective and durable as implants. Implants are so well designed that they mimic the look and feel of your natural teeth and are made of synthetic, yet biocompatible material such as metal or ceramic.
In cases where too many teeth are missing and there are no supporting teeth for bridges, loose dentures or more solid dental implants are the only choice to replace the missing teeth. A major advantage of using dental implants to replace missing teeth is that they do not require preparation or drilling of neighboring healthy teeth. They also do not necessitate special brushes and extra care for oral hygiene. After some time, when teeth are lost, bone loss of the jaw occurs and dental implants are used in order to slow this process down, preventing excessive loss of your bone structure.
Are You a Candidate?
If you are missing a tooth or multiple teeth and are interested in dental implants, contact your dentist for more information on if implants are appropriate for you. A good candidate for dental implants should have the following:
*Healthy gums
*Adequate bone to anchor implants in the jaw
*A commitment to taking exceptional care of the implanted teeth and surrounding gums
Those who are not appropriate candidates include:
*Young people whose jawbones have not stopped growing
*Pregnant women
*Heavy smokers
*Alcohol or substance abusers
*People who have received high-dose radiation treatment of the head or neck
*People with chronic diseases or systemic problems
If you are missing a tooth, or multiple teeth, talk to your dentist in Inland Empire for further diagnosis and to find out if you are a candidate for replacing missing teeth with dental implants.
