What is the Dental Implant Procedure?

It’s hard to believe that the dental implants chapel hill north carolina procedure has already been in use for over 50 years. Only in the last 25 years with the increased improvements in technology have they become more popular. The dental industry is now experiencing over 500,000 dental implants a year. Let’s look at why you might need an implant, the procedure itself in detail and the benefits of choosing this solution.

The Reasons behind having an Implant

Whether it be from a planned extraction of an unhealthy tooth or an unfortunate accident, you look at yourself in the mirror and you now have a gap in your teeth and your smile. That gap should be filled soon or the adjoining teeth will shift into that space having a negative effect on your bite pattern and your speech. For decades, the solution was a dental bridge, which is an artificial tooth suspended between the two abutment teeth. With the introduction of the dental implant you can now avoid the bridge and have a better solution, that being a dental implant.

The Dental Implant Procedure

A discussion with your dentist is always the first step. Once you have agreed together to pursue this avenue an x-ray will confirm what is going on below the surface. Your jawbone needs to be strong enough to accept the titanium post that will be surgically inserted. An impression will be made of your teeth so the dental lab has a roadmap of your neighboring natural teeth.

The next step is the administration of local anesthesia. Once numbed a small incision is made in the tissue, a small hole drilled into the jawbone and a titanium post inserted. It might take several months for this post to fuse to the bone but this is the most important element. That post will act as an artificial root providing strength to both the jawbone and the tooth.

Next comes an extension on the post. The piece is called the abutment. During this time of healing the dental lab has been fabricating your new crown out of porcelain or enamel. The dentist will affix the crown on the abutment and the procedure is completed. Just like that a new tooth.

The Benefits of a Dental Implant

The benefits are numerous and equal in value. The implant will look just like your natural teeth and not have any hardware affixing it to neighboring teeth. This also makes the implant easier for you to maintain cleanliness. With the introduction of the titanium post the implant is much stronger than the dental bridge when it comes to biting and chewing. The life expectancy of an implant, with proper care, can extend from 10 to 25 years. There is the unseen benefit of what the implant does for the health of your jaw. Then there is the value only you can assign to your smile. Your natural smile is back improving your self-esteem and your self-confidence. If you are looking at a gap, schedule a visit with your dentist and discuss your options to fill that gap today.

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