subject: Creating a Better Smile with Dental Implants [print this page] Causes of tooth loss are numerousCauses of tooth loss are numerous. Sometimes a dental trauma will cause one or more tooth to be knocked out. In other cases, disease or decay may cause a tooth to fall out or necessitate a tooth extraction by a dentist. Whatever the cause of a patient's tooth loss, dental implants are an effective, permanent method for replacing missing teeth. Dental implants qualify as both prosthetic dentistry and cosmetic dentistry as they replace natural teeth with artificial teeth, improving the health and structure of a person's mouth as well as the appearance of their smile. There are a number of advantages to dental implants, including oral health benefits and cosmetic appeal.
When a person loses a tooth, more than the tooth itself is lost. Shortly after the tooth is out, the section of the jaw bone that held the root of the tooth begins to degrade. With no tooth root to hold the bone in place, the bone begins to decay and lose its shape. This can affect the stability of the jaw bone surrounding the teeth on either side of the vacant tooth cavity. As a result, teeth adjacent to a missing tooth will often shift towards each other, negatively affecting the stability of the jaw and the person's bite. The hole left by a missing tooth also opens a person up to attack from gum diseases like gingivitis or periodontitis and exposes the adjacent teeth to decay. Having a cosmetic dentist place a dental implant will protect the patient's mouth from each of these issues. Implants hold the jaw bone that surrounds them neatly in place, prevent the bone from decaying or shifting, and protect the patient's mouth from disease and decay.
Aside from their numerous health advantages, dental implants have many cosmetic advantages. Missing teeth can be embarrassing and can significantly damage a person's smile. And the damage doesn't stop therepeople who are dissatisfied with their smile often let that dissatisfaction affect their self confidence, and that lack of confidence can have negative effects on a person's business, personal relationships, and overall self esteem.
Dental implants help people get back their confidence by restoring their smiles to their true beauty. Implants placed by a San Diego dentist are designed to look exactly like the patient's natural teeth. Everything including size, shape, and color is matched precisely in a laboratory using a mold of the patient's mouth. As a result, the finely crafted implant is built to fit comfortably in the patient's mouth and blend in with their other teeth. In fact, dental implants are so realistic that no one can tell they aren't real unless the patient points it out. Even then, any differences between the implant and the natural teeth are nearly impossible to distinguish.
Dental implants are not quick fixes or merely cosmetic covers. They are fully functioning, permanent replacements for missing teeth. Developments in dental implants including mini dental implants designed to replace the smallest of teeth are making implants are a more accessible and effective option for a greater variety of people. An implant place by a skilled dentist will not only improve the health and stability of a person's mouth, it can greatly improve their ability to eat and speak normally, abilities frequently compromised by missing teeth.
When a person decides to have a dental implant placed, they should take care to select their implant dentist with caution. No special license or certificate is required of a dentist in order to place dental implants, but the procedure is not always simple and requires the care and concentration of an experienced professional. Ask about your dentist's history with the procedure and his or her success rate. There is a slight chance that your mouth will reject a dental implant, and this chance is only increased when working with an unqualified dentist.
