If a tooth is missing, its root is missing also. So there are two gaps, one visible and one invisible. Bridges and dentures can fill the visible gap but not the invisible root gap. The beauty of having a dental implant is that it can fill the root gap in the jawbone and the tooth gap by anchoring a replacement tooth.

If the Jawbone Gap Remains
That gap will be filled but not in a positive way. Just as the neighboring teeth will move from their correct positions to fill the tooth gap so the jawbone will shrink inwards to fill the root gap. This is known as bone resorption, and it will change the appearance of your jawline and facial profile, making you look older than you are.

Most cosmetic dentists offer implant dentistry. Most also give patient education a high priority and are very willing to explain how things work. If you go ahead with a procedure without fully understanding it, things may not tend to go as well. If you’re relaxed and confident about having cosmetic dentistry work done, you will probably feel better afterwards.

Three Types of Dental Implant

•The root form implant – which is a small titanium cylinder
•The plate form implant – which is a narrow shape designed for a more narrow jawbone
•Subperiosteal implants – which is are customized shapes and placed on the bone rather than inside it. This is for people whose jawbone has insufficient width, height, and density to hold an implant.

The one most often used is the root form implant, as it has demonstrated the best results over the last ten years or so.

The Procedure

There are three steps to establish both the implant and the tooth it will hold.

1.The implant is placed in the jawbone. Several months are allowed to pass before the next step, to allow the bone tissue to grow closely around the implant, and incorporate it. This will make the implant very sturdy as your new tooth root.
2.In a small dental surgery, a small piece is added to the top of the implant, called an abutment. It is partly below the gum tissue and partly above it. It will hold the new tooth. Recovery from this step is only a couple of weeks, while the gums heal around the abutment.
3.The replacement tooth is attached to the abutment. It is a porcelain tooth that will match your other teeth in its shade of white, and will have the same pleasing shine to it.

The two gaps left by the missing tooth are now filled, and your smile is rejuvenated.

To learn more about dental implants in the Dallas area, please visit the website of Dr. Daniel B. Strader at Dallas Designer Smiles today.