What’s a dental implant?
Dental implants are surgically planted into your jawbone so that they look and function like your natural teeth. A dental implant is the next best thing to your natural tooth.
Dental implants have two parts:
- Titanium post: acts as a tooth root and extends into your alveolar bone
- Dental crown: a false tooth that’s fitted on the titanium post
Why should I replace a missing tooth?
Your teeth rely on one another to maintain a functional and healthy alignment. When a tooth is lost to decay or trauma, your other teeth may shift out of position.
The teeth that surround the location where your missing teeth used to be may adjust to the new gap. Even the teeth that are on the opposite side of your jaw may try to compensate for the lost teeth and undergo a process known as super-eruption. Super-erupted teeth grow toward the gap on the other side.
Some other consequences of missing teeth include:
- Bone degradation from lack of healthy stress
- Mouth sagging
- Jaw pain, clicking, popping, and TMJ disorder
- Painful chewing
- Improperly chewed food
- Speech impediments
What are some benefits of a dental implant?
Dental implants are distinctly better than other tooth-replacement choices. Some advantages include:
- Permanent
- Looks and acts like a real tooth
- Eat your favorite foods without worry
- Protects gums and bones
- Creates healthy stress on the bone
- Maintains proper alignment of other teeth
- Cleaned and maintained like natural teeth
How can I get a dental implant?
The first step for dental implants is a consultation with Dr. Solway and his staff. If your teeth, gums, and bones are healthy, you move to the next step. If you have tooth decay, gum infection, or bone degradation, Dr. Solway and Dr. Aaron Zeevi — Eastpointe Family Dental Center’s periodontist — resolve those issues first.
Dental implants require several steps:
- In-office, surgical implantation of titanium post with local anesthesia
- Impressions taken for your permanent crown
- Color for crown matched to your remaining teeth
- Temporary crown fitted while your bone fuses to the post
- Bone fuses to the post over the next several months
- Temporary crown removed and permanent crown fitted
Once your permanent crown is in place, you use and clean your new tooth just like a natural tooth.
As soon as a tooth goes missing, contact Dr. Solway for a dental implant. You can book a consultation online or call his friendly staff.
