Missing teeth can throw your bite out of alignment, negatively impacting your facial profile. It can also affect your smile, causing low self-esteem and social withdrawal. It can also negatively impact your mastication, leading to poor health and physical well-being. 

A Fresno cosmetic dentist and their team provide comprehensive care in the form of dental implants to help rejuvenate your oral form, function, and aesthetics. 

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are surgically inserted into your jawbone permanently. The implant post is a screw-like device that mimics your missing tooth root, while the abutment is that part that connects the implant to the crown (artificial tooth). The implant provides anchorage or foundation for permanent restorations like crowns, dentures, and bridges.  

Why do you need implants?

Dental implants help provide a permanent replacement for missing tooth or teeth. They offer excellent anchorage to future restorations like crowns, dentures, and bridges. They save your adjacent tooth from any sort of damage, keeping in mind to prevent the abnormal tilting of your natural teeth in the open spaces left due to the missing teeth.

Your dentist will recommend implants to:

• Prevent speech development problems
• Restore the masticatory and digestive functions
• Rejuvenate your facial profile
• Secure a denture or a bridge

How do dentists fix a dental implant?

A dental implant procedure is a long-term process that may involve 4 to 6 months, depending on your age, the health and vitality of your jawbone, and the number of missing teeth to be replaced. 

• Your dentist will evaluate your missing spaces, gum tissues, and the health of your jawbones. 
• Dental X-rays will be taken to determine if the amount of bone present is sufficient to provide support to the implants. If you have insufficient bone left, your dentist may first recommend bone grafts to create a stable foundation for implants. 
• Next, your dentist will numb the insertion site with local anesthesia and drill holes into your jawbone. 
• Titanium implants will be inserted into the jawbone and given time to heal. 
• Throughout 4 to 6 months, the implant will fuse with your jawbone (osseointegration).
• When your mouth heals, permanent restorations will be placed. 

Final note 

A beautiful smile is not far away, thanks to dental implants that provide versatile benefits. They provide an excellent anchorage to dental restorations and help replace missing teeth to aesthetically enhance your overall appearance.