How Dental Implants Provide a Long Term Tooth Replacement Option

Several options exist for replacing lost teeth. Dental implants are an excellent choice for patients interested in a long term tooth replacement option. With the proper care, dental implants could last indefinitely. At Central Jersey Dental Arts in Piscataway, our experienced dentists, Dr. Nainesh Desai and Dr. Warren Lorch, can determine if you might be a candidate for dental implants.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants replace missing teeth and their roots. A dental implant consists of a metal implant, an abutment, and a crown. The metal implant looks similar to a screw and is placed in the jaw bone. The abutment is used to connect the crown to the implant. Once all components are in place, only the crown will be visible since everything else sits below the gum line. The crown is the replacement tooth, while the metal implant functions similarly to a tooth root.

One of the reasons dental implants are able to replace teeth long term, and possibly permanently, is due to placement in the jaw bone. Over time, the metal implant and bone become fused together through a natural process called osseointegration. Fusion of the two materials enables the dental implant to remain anchored in place indefinitely. The implant is then also able to securely hold replacement teeth in place.

Since dental implants are placed directly in the jaw bone, patients need to have enough bone to support placement of the implant. Bone can wear away when teeth have been missing for a while. At our office in Piscataway, our dentists can determine if you have enough bone for placing dental implants.

Benefits of Dental Implants

Several benefits accompany dental implants, include being both a secure and long term tooth replacement option. Another benefit of dental implants is that they are versatile. As mentioned, a crown can be placed on top when replacing a single missing tooth. However, it is also possible to replace multiple teeth simultaneously by using several dental implants to anchor either bridgework or an implant-supported denture in place.

An additional benefit of dental implants is that they can reduce or eliminate many of the unwanted side effects that accompany tooth loss. When teeth are missing, the face can sag and droop without enough teeth to support the facial muscles. Speech can also be affected by the gaps in your smile. Also, any remaining natural teeth are likely to endure excess strain as they compensate for the missing teeth. By restoring your full smile with dental implants, many of these problems diminish or disappear.

Dental implants are an excellent long term tooth replacement option. At Central Jersey Dental Arts in Piscataway, our skilled dentists can determine if you are a candidate for dental implants. To schedule an appointment with either Dr. Desai or Dr. Lorch, call the office at (732) 981-1040.