Do I need a dental implant?
Have you lost your sparkle when you smile? Is a missing tooth lowering your confidence? At Sheen Dental Implants in Richmond, we can help you get back the confidence you have lost. You may have lost a tooth due to an accident or an injury. Sometimes hereditary conditions can also result in tooth loss.
Why have a single tooth dental implant instead of other restoration options?
Dental implants in Richmond, provide several advantages over other tooth replacement options. As well as looking and functioning like a natural tooth, a dental implant replaces a single tooth without losing the health of neighboring teeth. The other common treatment for the loss of a single tooth is a tooth supported fixed bridge. This requires that adjacent teeth be ground down to support the cemented bridge. This is not ideal when requiring just one tooth to be replaced, making a single tooth dental implant an reliable choice for our patients at Sheen Dental Implants in Richmond.
Because a dental implant will replace your tooth root, the bone will be preserved. With a bridge, some of the bone that previously surrounded the tooth begins to deteriorate. Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, keeping your bone healthy and intact. The success rates for all forms of dental implants are also very high – around 95% – making it a safer alternative to other restoration techniques.
A single dental implant can be more aesthetically pleasing and easier to keep clean than a bridge. Gums can recede around a bridge, which can leave a visible defect when the collar of the bridge becomes exposed. Resorbed bone underneath the bridge can lead to an unattractive smile and the cement holding the bridge in place can wash away. This can allow bacteria to decay the teeth that anchor the bridge.
Single tooth implant procedure
The process involves a titanium implant being placed directly into the jaw where the gap is. This procedure can take roughly around the same time as a dental filling. A temporary healing cap will be placed to fill the gap while the implant fuses with the bone, which can take between four and six months.