The reasons to consider dental implants for restoring your smile are endless. They are the most secure and long-lasting tooth replacement option. They are also extremely versatile and can replace a single tooth or an entire arch. Dr. Dave Watkins, the skilled dentist at Watkins Family Dental in Louisville, KY, can restore your smile with dental implants.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small metal titanium posts that look similar to a screw, but function like tooth roots to secure crowns, bridges, or dentures in place. When replacing one tooth at a time, only one dental implant and a crown are needed. Several dental implants are required to anchor a bridge or denture.
Dental implants are one of the most secure and long-lasting tooth replacement options. One of the reasons they are so secure is that they are placed directly in bone tissue in the jaw. Over the next few months, the metal implants become permanently fused with the bone through a natural process called osseointegration. Once the dental implants are completely fused to the jawbone, they can securely anchor crowns, bridges, and dentures without any risk of shifting or slipping out of place.
Dental implants are a state-of-the-art tooth-replacement method. Unfortunately, they are not an option for everyone. Individuals with significant bone loss, a common side effect of tooth loss, might not be suitable candidates for dental implants. Without enough bone, the fusion of the implants and bone is not possible. The experienced dentist at our office in Louisville, KY, can determine if you are a candidate for dental implants.
Benefits of Dental Implants
One of the reasons so many patients consider dental implants for restoring their smile is that there are numerous benefits. The many benefits of this state-of-the-art tooth replacement option include:
- Versatility: They can effectively replace one tooth or several teeth.
- Improved Appearance: Dental implants restore beauty to your smile by filling in the gaps caused by tooth loss, which can also improve self-esteem.
- Improved Function: They restore biting and chewing functions that were compromised due to tooth loss.
- Less Strain: Dental implants reduce excess strain on natural teeth by redistributing biting and chewing functions across a full set of teeth.
- Reduced Side Effects: By filling in the gaps where teeth are missing, dental implants help minimize the side effects of tooth loss, such as facial sagging and teeth shifting out of place.
- Bone Loss Prevention: Dental implants help preserve jaw bone tissue that would otherwise be naturally reabsorbed by the body following tooth loss.
There are so many exciting reasons to choose dental implants. Not only do they restore beauty and function to your smile, but they also help prevent bone loss. To find out if dental implants are an option for you, schedule an appointment with Dr. Watkins, our exceptional dentist, by calling Watkins Family Dental in Louisville, KY, at (502) 423-7312.