If you have missing teeth, you may be considering tooth-replacement options. While many people still choose dentures or traditional bridges, more and more patients are choosing dental implants for their amazing benefits. If you would like to know more, keep reading.

How Do Dental Implants Work?

Dental implants consist of a titanium implant, an abutment, and a dental crown. The dentist inserts the titanium implant into the gums and jawbone to serve as an artificial root. As the area heals, the jawbone fuses to the titanium thanks to its osseointegration qualities. For this reason, dental implants are incredibly durable and strong like natural teeth. Once the area has fully healed, the dentist places the abutment and crown.

If you can't afford traditional dental implants or your jawbone is weak, ask about subperiosteal implants. The dentist places these implants under the gum tissue but above the jawbone tissue. For this reason, they are not as durable, but they are less expensive and invasive.

How Many Teeth Can Implants Replace?

Dental implants can replace one tooth, a handful of teeth, or all your teeth. If you're only missing one tooth, you'll want a single dental implant. If you're missing multiple teeth, you can choose multiple dental implants, but it's more cost-effective to choose implant-supported bridges and/or dentures.

Like single implants, implant-supported bridges are fixed, but implant dentures are removable. This is necessary for cleaning and to prevent sores and damage to the gum tissue. However, the dentures snap onto the dental implants, making them much more stable than traditional dentures.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

The leading benefit of dental implants is durability. Because they rely on the jawbone directly for support, they can last the rest of your life. Plus, they don't cause damage to surrounding teeth, like traditional dental bridges.

In addition, dental implants stimulate your jawbone like real tooth roots. This prevents the jawbone from shrinking: a common problem associated with tooth loss. Traditional dental bridges, traditional dentures, and subperiosteal implants do not stimulate and strengthen the jawbone, so the bone continues to shrink, which can affect the facial structure.

How Do You Maintain Dental Implants?

Dental implants are as easy to care for as normal teeth, but the crown is not susceptible to decay. Make sure to clean between teeth and the implant and under implant bridges and remove dentures for cleaning to prevent gum irritation and disease. Gum disease around the implant or periimplantitis, can cause the implant to fail.

You can continue to eat the same foods you ate before getting implants, and they are more resistant to stains than normal teeth. However, if stains develop, you can't use teeth whitening to correct it.

If you are sick of missing teeth, stop hiding your smile. With dental implants, you get the smile you've always wanted. For more information, contact a dentist in your area today. For more information on dental implants, contact a professional near you.