Losing one tooth or many teeth can have a very negative effect on your overall health and even the way that you look, smile, speak, relate to food or just feel about yourself in general. But replacing that tooth or those teeth with dental implants can fill out your face if it looks ‘sunken’ because of missing teeth, help you smile more, speak with ease, eat anything you want and have improved confidence about the way you look and feel. In fact, dental implants look and feel so natural that you may forget that you even lost a tooth (or teeth) in the first place.

Dental implants have been used for decades to replace teeth or secure a dental prosthesis. Dental implants are titanium screws or cylinders that are surgically inserted into your jaw bone and act as an artificial tooth root by stimulating your jaw bone and keeping it healthy and by actually fusing with your bone in a process that is called “osseointegration.” Because the implant fuses with your bone, it becomes a permanent structure in your mouth to which the artificial tooth, bridge, partial or full dentures are attached and this permanent structure allows the dental prosthesis to function like a natural tooth.

If just one or a couple of teeth are replaced with dental implants, they become permanent in a patient’s mouth; however, if the implants support partial or full dentures, the dentures can easily be removed for cleaning. And unlike traditional dentures, when implants are used to secure an upper denture, the prosthesis only covers the gums and jaw bone, leaving the roof of the mouth open which means that the thousands of tiny taste buds that are in that area of the mouth can be activated when you eat which results in being able to more fully taste and enjoy your food.

Although dental implants can be placed in most patients, those who are the best candidates for successful implants are people who are in good overall healthy with a strong jaw bone and healthy gums. If any periodontal disease is present in your gums, it will need to be treated and healed before implant surgery can take place. For patients who currently wear dentures, two or more implants can be inserted to stabilize and secure the denture or partial denture.

Dental implants provide the following benefits:

o They look, feel and function like real teeth.

o A patient is able to speak clearly because implant supported teeth or dentures fit securely and replace missing teeth that can affect the way a person speaks.

o Eating with dental implants is the same as eating with your natural teeth.

o The implants are good for your mouth and overall health because they keep your jaw bone and gum healthy.

o Self-esteem is improved because of the way you look and feel.

With the ongoing successful use of dental implants, patients no longer have to endure the effects of missing teeth, bridges or partial dentures that negatively impact the integrity of surrounding teeth or loose or slipping full dentures. Because of dental implants, patients of all ages can now enjoy a full set of secure, natural functioning teeth throughout their entire lives.

Author Bio: Dr. Anasinski completed her residency in Periodontics at Northwestern University and is Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds many prestigious positions such as Delegate to the Illinois State Dental Society. Periodontics of Niles

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: periodontics niles, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, dermal fillers, dental plastic surgery