Losing a tooth can impact your life in more ways than one. It may compromise your ability to bite and chew as normal, or cause you to feel self-conscious about your smile. Thankfully, none of these ill effects have to be permanent. Dental implants are widely considered to be the best option for long-lasting, natural-looking tooth replacement. At Keystone OMS, we are pleased to provide dental implant placement for patients who live in or near Boardman, OH.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants replace your missing teeth from root to crown. First, the titanium implant itself is inserted into the jawbone, where it functions as an artificial root. It takes a few months for the implant to heal, fusing with the surrounding bone to ensure a steady, stable anchor point. From there, a connective piece called an abutment is added, followed by a porcelain replacement tooth, custom-made to replicate the look and feel of your natural teeth.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Keystone OMS recommends dental implants for a number of reasons:
Your Dental Implants Are a Permanent Part of Your Smile
Through a process known as osseointegration, the titanium implants actually fuse with your jawbone. Assuming you maintain a healthy jawbone, you can expect those implants to last the rest of your life with proper oral care.
Dental Implants Are Far More Secure Than Dentures or Bridges
Because they replace your missing tooth roots, dental implants can provide far more stability than traditional dentures, bridges, or other tooth replacement methods. As such, you will be able to chew all your favorite foods without worrying about your new teeth slipping, breaking, or falling out.
It is Easy to Care for Your Dental Implants
Assuming you use implants to replace individual teeth, you can take care of them by brushing and flossing just like normal.
Dental Implants Preserve Your Oral Health
Implants provide ongoing jawbone stimulation, preventing that bone from shrinking. In doing so, dental implants help preserve the health of your other teeth and prevent unwanted changes to your facial appearance.
Implants Last Longer Than Other Tooth Replacement Methods
While you may eventually need to have the porcelain prostheses replaced, the implants themselves may last up to a lifetime with proper care. Because dental implants tend to last longer, they offer a greater overall value than other tooth replacement options.
Getting Implants Allows You to Keep Your Healthy Teeth
The placement of dental implants does not harm your remaining natural teeth, allowing you to preserve as much of your healthy smile as possible.
What Getting Dental Implants Is Like
While each patient has unique needs, the dental implant placement process usually follows this basic trajectory:
- Your journey begins with a consultation, allowing Dr. Clemenza to perform an evaluation to confirm your eligibility for surgery.
- Some patients will need additional procedures to prepare for implant placement, such as a bone graft or the extraction of a non-viable tooth.
- On the day of your implant placement, you will be placed under anesthesia, ensuring your comfort and safety during the procedure. It is important to have someone drive you home after the procedure.
- You will then spend a few weeks in recovery, allowing your dental implants to fuse to the jawbone and your smile to heal. You need to follow the proper hygiene and dietary guidelines provided.
- Once your implants have healed, you will return to Dr. Clemenza to add the abutment and the final prosthesis, completing your dental restoration.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
If you live in the Boardman, OH area and wish to learn more about your eligibility for dental implants, the best thing you can do is to schedule a consultation with an oral surgeon like Dr. Clemenza. Having said that, the best candidates for dental implants:
- Have good oral health overall, without any unchecked gum disease.
- Have good physical health without any underlying issues that would make you ineligible for surgery.
- Either have sufficient bone density in their jaw or be willing to receive a bone graft.
- Must be willing to brush and floss regularly, and to stay up to date with routine dental care.
Restore Your Smile with Dental Implants
Tooth loss can compromise the form and function of your smile, yet dental implants offer lasting restoration. At Keystone OMS, our team has the knowledge, skill, and experience needed to promote your well-being throughout the dental implant placement process. We are proud to serve the Boardman, OH community. Explore your options for dental implants by calling Keystone OMS at (724) 981-8884 or by scheduling your appointment online.
