When you lose your teeth, you could risk the breakdown of your jaw. This shrinkage could mean the risk of further tooth loss and a much older appearance! But by placing dental implants, we can prevent this complication and keep your smile whole. In today’s blog, your Shrewsbury, MA, dentist talks about implant dentistry and smile preservation.
The Impacts of Tooth Loss
When we lose teeth to decay and infection, or injury and gum disease, the lack of roots means the body will no longer send doses of calcium and phosphorus to the area. Without these nutrients, the jawbone itself begins to break down. The weakened jaw around the missing roots could lead to additional missing teeth. As the process continues, this could also essentially shrink the jawbone, leading to sunken cheeks, ptotic chins, and other signs or premature aging. But our team can offer a tooth replacement option that prevents this breakdown and preserves the mass and density of your jaw, so you hang on to your youthful facial features.
How Dental Implants Preserve Your Jaw
The dental implant is made of three main parts. The root portion is a biocompatible titanium post that is screw-like in appearance. Next is the abutment, which connects to the post and provides structure for the third portion, the crown. If you have multiple missing teeth, then several posts and abutments could secure a bridge or even a denture. We will guide the posts into the jaw to ensure proper angle, position, and depth, so they can stay in place and bond with the jaw. The bonding process, also known as osseointegration, enables your new posts to stay in place for decades, possibly even a lifetime! In comparison, traditional bridges and removable dentures only remain for about ten years before replacement is necessary.
Dentures
If you have lost several teeth, even the majority, then we can still help with implant dentistry. To get started, we will carefully examine your smile and if necessary, remove any remaining teeth to pave the way for your implant-secured prosthetic. We then plan and place the post across the arch of your jaw and connect a denture to them, so you have a prosthetic that is fixed in place, never slipping or requiring removal for maintenance. If you have any questions about how our team can use dental implants to replace missing teeth and preserve the jaw, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Missing Teeth?
Dental implants not only look natural, but can keep your jawbone from breaking down due to tooth loss. To find out more about how we take on your lost teeth, then please call our Shrewsbury/Grafton, MA area dental office at 508-842-8838.
