Many people today who have had missing teeth, bridges, or dentures are still self conscious about their teeth and are wondering what they can do to fix them. Over periods of time the work that people may have had becomes damaged or is just not as pleasing as it once was.

With the advances that are happening in the world of dentistry today, many people are choosing to have dental implants placed to fix or just improve the look and functionality of their teeth.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a revolutionary way to cosmetically enhance anyone’s smile and are changing people’s lives all the time. Dental implants improve the way people look, eat and speak.

Dental implants are used every day and the use of dental implants is expected to continue to increase with time as they have tripled in use in the last twenty years. Dental implants can be used in people of all ages and who are experiencing many different issues with their mouths.

Dental implants are the best replacement for natural teeth as they are literally affixed to the jaw as a tooth would be and are completely stable and secure. Dental implants can sustain almost exactly the same biting force as natural teeth which is right around 500 pounds per square inch of pressure!

Dental implants let the wearer enjoy whatever food they would normally eat without tooth sensitivity or pain. Dental implants are made with materials that are non-biological and are easily compatible with human bone. Generally, dental implant anchors are made from sterile titanium or other extremely durable metals.

Dental implants are usually placed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon during an outpatient procedure in the office. In most patients, the placement of the dental implant occurs in two procedures. The first procedure involves placing the dental implant into your jaw bone.

The healing of this process can take several months as the implant bonds with the hard tissue. Next, the actual artificial tooth is created and fitted to the healed implant anchor. Each patient will vary in candidacy for dental implants depending on different factors including their age, eating habits, general health of their jaw bone and other things.

Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon will be able to help you understand if you are a good candidate for dental implants. Once correctly placed and fitted, through proper care dental implants can last a lifetime.