Get Beautiful Replacement Teeth at Harrisburg Smiles
If you’re missing a tooth or two due to an accident, decay, or any other reason, dental implants might be the right restorative solution for you! During treatment, an implant is surgically inserted into your jawbone, and once it heals, your implant will mimic a natural tooth root. With dental implants, your replacement tooth will look and feel natural, and you’ll have a confident smile for years to come.
Benefits of Dental Implants
Since dental implants are surgically placed, the result is a replacement tooth that looks and feels completely natural. You won’t need to worry about removing your replacement tooth to eat or sleep, and with proper oral hygiene a dental implant can last a lifetime. Dental implants are quickly becoming the standard of care for missing teeth due to their durability, esthetic appearance, and convenience. Call us today to schedule a consultation to see if you’re a good candidate for dental implants!
Know What to Expect During Your Dental Implant Procedure
The dental implant process begins with a consultation. During this visit, one of our experts will determine whether your gums and jawbone are healthy enough to support an implant. If so, a small, titanium post will be inserted into your jawbone. Once this heals, you’ll come back to Harrisburg Smiles and one of our dentists will attach a custom crown to your implant. You’ll leave our office with a beautiful, natural-looking replacement tooth that matches the rest of your smile!
How Do Implants Prevent Bone Loss?
Your jaw bone is stimulated by constant use and the pressure of chewing. Like any other part of your body, such as a muscle, your jaw bone will become stronger when it’s used frequently and will deteriorate if it’s no longer stimulated. The force of biting and chewing applies pressure to the roots of your teeth and into your gums and jaw. This strengthens your jaw and keeps the bone tissue healthy and strong.
Once you lose a tooth, this pressure is no longer transmitted to the jaw. As a result, it begins the process of “resorption.” The bone will start to deteriorate. Most of the time, you’ll lose about 25% of the bone below a missing tooth within a year of losing the tooth.
Even if you have a dental bridge or partial denture, bone loss will still occur. However, Dental implants prevent this from happening because they function as artificial tooth roots. They are permanently implanted into your gums and jaw. Just like a natural tooth root, a dental implant puts pressure on your gums and jaw when you chew, stimulating the bone tissue and preventing it from deteriorating. For this reason, dental implants are usually the best long-term restorative treatment for preserving your oral health after you’ve lost one or more teeth.
How Do I Care for My Dental Implants?
For the most part, you can treat your dental implant and implant-supported restoration just like you would treat a normal tooth. Continue to brush your teeth at least twice per day with a soft-bristled toothbrush, and make sure to floss once per day.
Beyond that, all you have to do is visit Harrisburg Smiles every six months for a check-up, and make sure you take other basic precautions to protect your implant, such as avoiding the chewing of non-food objects with your implant, using a nightguard if you grind your teeth, and using a mouthguard when playing contact sports.
If you have multiple dental implants supporting a permanent bridge or implant-supported denture, your oral care needs may vary. Consult with Dr. Cherukuri for more details.
What Is Osseointegration? What Does It Do?
Osseointegration refers to the unique ability of titanium, the metal used in dental implants, to bond permanently with your bone and gum tissue. This is what makes dental implants so effective.
Once your titanium implant is placed, it will immediately begin to heal. Over the time span of about 3-6 months, the titanium will be completely surrounded with gum and jaw tissue and bond to it permanently. This provides an extremely secure hold for your dental implant. For all intents and purposes, it will be a natural part of your mouth, and function as an artificial tooth root.
Thanks to osseointegration, your dental implant will easily last you 30+ years with proper care. In fact, most patients will keep their implants for the rest of their lives.
