When you lose a tooth, the resulting complications could lead to problems with the function and appearance of your smile. By replacing your lost teeth with dental implants, we not only fill these gaps, but we help preserve your facial structure too. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons explain how we preserve smiles with implant dentistry.
The Impacts of Missing Teeth
Some impacts are obvious. Losing teeth could change how you eat, as more substantial tooth loss often leads to people being forced to rely on soft foods. You could also have trouble speaking clearly, and could feel self-conscious about your smile. However, did you know that tooth loss could also change your facial structure? The body respond to lost tooth roots by suspending the flow of key nutrients to the surrounding jawbone tissues. Without these nutrients, the bone tissue breaks down. As the jawbone loses mass and density, further tooth loss could occur and you could develop an aged appearance! Fortunately, dental implants can help reverse this process.
Planning and Guiding Your Placement
A dental implant post is made from titanium, a biocompatible material that can bond with the bone tissue and be accepted by the body as natural roots. We use advanced digital imaging technology to plan the placement and ensure the area we insert the implant post will best stimulate bone growth and support a restoration or prosthetic. After we choose the exact angle and position, we will move forward with the placement process.
Restoring Your New Tooth
After we insert the new dental implant post, the body will begin to provide the jawbone with doses of calcium and phosphorus, encouraging growth and preventing the negative changes linked to missing teeth and an aged appearance. This process also helps your new teeth last much longer than removable prosthetics. Whether you have an individual one secured with a crown, or several supporting a bridge or denture, your new teeth could last decades, possibly even a lifetime!
Protecting Your Smile
Following your placement and restoration, we will schedule a follow-up appointment to closely monitor your smile to ensure the success of your new implants and the improved health of your jawbone and surrounding oral structures. From there, routine care at home and with a general dentist will help prevent the oral health issues linked to tooth loss and implant failure, such as infection or periodontal disease. If you have any questions, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Implant Dentistry?
Our team wants to help you enjoy a full and beautiful smile in 2021. To learn more about how we replace missing teeth, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.