Did you know that when you lose teeth, your gums will recess and your jawbone will deteriorate? When a tooth is missing, the jawbone will naturally atrophy because the tooth’s roots are no longer present in the bone. Bone deterioration and gum recession associated with tooth loss poses serious risks to your oral health. Fortunately, patients can take a proactive stance in protecting their oral health while stopping jawbone atrophy with dental implants placed by your oral surgeon.
When the bone no longer has to support the roots of a missing a tooth, the bone will atrophy over time, thus leaving patients susceptible to losing more teeth. Furthermore, when an empty tooth socket is not replaced with a prosthetic, adjacent teeth lack structural support and will move out of their proper position over time. When teeth slide or collapse into neighboring empty tooth sockets, these teeth are at risk for falling out.
Dental implants duplicate the function of natural teeth. In fact, this method of replacing teeth is the best prosthodontic option for retaining a patient’s bone density, gum structure, and health of neighboring teeth. A dental implant has two parts, a titanium rod and a crown. The rod, with a screw-like texture, is implanted directly into the jawbone where the missing tooth’s roots once existed.
Over time, bone will fuse around the titanium rod, firmly locking it in place through a biological process called osseointegration. Once the bone has properly fused to the rod, which will ultimately function like a tooth’s roots, the manmade crown will be affixed to an abutment on the implant. The crown is visible above the gum line and provides the surface area needed to support other teeth and chew food properly.
The biocompatibility of dental implants helps prevent common oral health conditions caused by tooth loss. To learn more about the benefits of dental implants or to determine if this tooth replacement method is best for you, contact Northern Texas Facial & Oral Surgery to schedule an appointment.
