Our teeth do a lot of hard work every day chewing up our food so we can swallow it, which is why it’s so important that we take proper care of them with a regular dental hygiene routine. Sometimes despite our best efforts things can go wrong with our teeth, they can crack while accidentally biting down on a piece of bone or a fruit pit, or might be broken in an accident. When things like this happen the damage is sometimes beyond repair and different measures must be taken to restore our ability to chew properly! Fortunately, there is an excellent surgical tooth replacement option in the form of dental implants.
Dental implants are a commonly used method to provide support for artificial teeth like dentures, crowns, and bridges. Every day of the week dentists perform dental implants in Sunshine Coast to help restore people’s smiles. Dental Implant insertion usually requires several procedures followed by several months of healing, but once that process has finished it’s as if you have your natural teeth back again, but better, stronger, and whiter! If you apply proper care your implant can last for a lifetime!
Let’s learn more about exactly how dental implants work!
Damaged or missing teeth are surgically replaced with small, threaded posts that fill in the gaps in your smile, return your ability to chew properly, and improve your overall oral health.
A dental implant is comprised of three main parts:
- Threaded Post – This is basically an artificial root for your tooth. During an oral surgery procedure, the orthodontist affixes it to your jawbone.
- Abutment – This tiny connector post screws into the threaded post to extend slightly beyond your gums. It forms the foundation for your new artificial tooth.
- Restoration – Any prosthetic that repairs or replaces teeth is a dental restoration. The most common dental implant restorations are dentures, crowns, and bridges.
The majority of dental implants are made of titanium, but some are composed of ceramics. Both of these materials are perfectly safe and are biocompatible, meaning that they are friendly with your mouth’s inner tissues and will have no adverse reactions.
Losing teeth changes the way you eat and talk. Dental implants will offer the following benefits:
- Enhanced smile
- Better chewing ability
- Jawbone preservation
- Improved speech and enunciation
- Longevity
- Stabilises wobbly dentures
A further advantage is that dental implants don’t require the removal of enamel the way that bridges do. When you replace one missing tooth with a dental bridge, your orthodontist has to shave down at least one tooth on either side of the gap which can weaken your natural tooth structure.
Having missing teeth will always be adverse to your overall oral health, but they also have a negative impact on your emotional well-being because you may feel they are disfiguring which makes you self-conscious so you begin to avoid social situations and cover your mouth when you smile or laugh. Having dental implants installed will restore your smile as well as your confidence, so you can enjoy life and friends again!
