Need-to-Know Facts about Dental Implants

Missing teeth can rob you of your desire to smile, but living with an embarrassing or aggravating gap between your teeth doesn’t have to be your only option. You can sit down with a dentist in the Saint Charles MO area who can help you to explore your options for replacing the missing tooth. This is great news because missing teeth don’t just leave gaps in your smile – they can also affect the way that you chew and speak. Eventually, if the missing tooth isn’t replaced, there is a great risk that the neighboring teeth will begin to move. As the teeth shift, new crevices are created to collect dental plaque, contributing to tooth decay, the need for a dental filling, or gum disease in the future.

Implant dentistry is an increasingly popular option when a missing tooth needs to be replaced. As an alternative to removable partials which rest on the gum line or dental bridges which must use adjacent teeth as anchors, each dental implant is surgically placed in the jawbone to serve as a strong anchor for your replacement teeth. Dental implants look and feel like natural teeth, enabling you to speak and chew just like you did in the past.

According to your needs, a dental implant can replace just one tooth, or multiple implants can be used to replace several teeth. We often use dental implants to anchor dental bridges or dentures for stability. If all of the teeth need to be replaced, implant-supported dentures are an excellent choice as they provide more stability than conventional dentures.

The dental implant procedure is a surgical procedure that will be most successful if you are healthy during the process. You’ll need to practice excellent oral hygiene, eat well and avoid smoking. It is also important that you maintain enough volume in the jaw bone to adequately support the dental implants. Discuss your pre-existing medical conditions and other concerns with an implant dentist in the Saint Charles MO area today for more information.