Losing a tooth can cause all kinds of distress — from the initial shock of a gap in your teeth to the fear that you’ll never be able to restore the original look of your beautiful smile again.
The good news is with a dental implant you can essentially rewind the clock and reset your smile back to looking completely new again!
How can dental implants do this, you ask? We’d love to share our knowledge and cover what dental implants are and how they can restore the look, feel and function of your natural teeth.
Dental implants: a natural tooth gap solution
Over the years, there have been a variety of solutions to fill the gap left behind from a missing adult tooth – including just embracing your inner hockey player!
However, when dental implants entered the scene, they quickly became the first choice for both dentists and patients to restore a missing tooth.
While pre-dental implant options came with pros and cons that made the decision difficult, dental implants function so much like your normal tooth that it’s the most natural solution to fill that gap!
However, while a dental implant will give you a long-lasting new tooth with little to no special care, the process is a bit intensive.
Each implant comes in two phases, starting below the gum line at the root, and ending with the crown to “top” it all off.
The root of the matter (and your dental implant)
Just like an iceberg, the largest part of the dental implant process remains unseen – that is, its root or post.
While installing the post is the most intensive part of getting a dental implant, the benefits of having a firm anchor for your tooth make your time in the dentist’s chair well worth it.
Benefits include:
- Your false tooth is sturdy enough to chew through anything a natural tooth can
- The root encourages strength in your jawbone
- It supports facial tissue which can sag without a root
To create this extra support for your mouth, your dentist drills down into your jaw, and screws in a titanium post. Then, they give your tissue time to heal around the new root. During your next visit (once your mouth has accepted this new hardware), your dentist will move on to installing the second part of your dental implant, the crown.
Your (dental) crowning glory
Each dental implant is finished off with a crown, or as a patient may call it: a false tooth. The procedure to install this is very simple. Once the root is in and the gums have healed, the crown is placed on top of the root and securely fastened in place.
Pretty easy, hey?
That’s because the real crown work starts long before it’s installed. To make sure your smile remains natural and even, your dentist will match the colour and measure the bite of your current teeth, then send those specifics away to the “crown makers”. 👑
Once your dentist gets the specially constructed tooth and installs it, they may need to tweak it further to ensure your new tooth meshes with your natural teeth comfortably and seamlessly.
Taking care of your implant
Once the right crown is installed, taking care of a dental implant is as easy as taking care of your natural teeth. Simply brush it along with the rest of your smile after every meal (or at least twice a day) and floss regularly. Because of its shape, you may notice your floss goes further beneath the implant than other teeth, but that’s probably the only difference you’ll notice.
If you’ve been dealing with a gap in your teeth or an impermanent solution to the loss of an adult tooth, be sure to talk with us at Bow Island Dental about the possibility of getting a dental implant.