How Dental Implants Can Save Your Jawbone

There’s no substitute for your permanent teeth, the way nature intended. Your teeth, gums, and jaw form a strong and versatile system that permits eating and speaking with equal ease. However, nearly 180 million Americans may be without one or more of their natural teeth, and around 40 million of them have no teeth at all.

A visit to the dental implant specialists at Allure Dental Care of Maple Lawn can give you new hope as you learn about the best alternative for replacing missing teeth. There’s an essential interaction between your teeth and the bone of your jaw that conventional dentures can’t replace. Dental implants, however, re-create both the root and crown of your natural tooth. Here’s how dental implants can save your jawbone while restoring your smile.

The effects of missing teeth

Losing natural teeth isn’t merely an inconvenience that you can overlook. When you lose a tooth, the natural system of your mouth weakens. Other teeth lose support, and over time, your bite may change as teeth slowly change position. The skin of your face could collapse into gaps once filled by teeth, and continued changes may influence speaking patterns and pronunciation.

Those are only the obvious changes. As you bite and chew, your teeth’s roots push and pull against the bone of your jaw that surrounds and holds them in place. This stimulation keeps bone healthy and active. New bone tissue grows as needed to maintain the solid anchor around your roots.

When that interaction disappears, so does the biological stimulation once provided by the now-missing teeth. Over time, bone mass will vanish. Your jaw becomes weaker, and problems with moving teeth could grow. This could lead to decay and shifting loads on your remaining teeth.

The benefits of the dental implant

The new “root,” provided by the implant, is usually a titanium appliance that slightly resembles a wood screw. Titanium is a biologically inert and strong metal. Once implanted into your jaw, bone, and implant mesh together, a process called osseointegration. Upon healing, the implant and jaw integrate in the same way a natural tooth root does. Bone stimulation returns, and the risk of bone loss decreases.

A solution for dentures

Implants aren’t simply a one-for-one replacement method for lost teeth. The implant base can also serve as an anchor point for dental bridges. For instance, if you have three adjacent teeth missing, two implants could support a bridge with three crowns.

There are even alternatives for denture wearers. Denture plates that snap on to special implant posts can also restore bone stimulation while fixing dentures securely. No more slipping or shifting. You still retain the convenience of removing your plates for easy cleaning. No more plate covering the roof of your mouth, and no more adhesives for security.

Find out more about dental implants and how they can save your jawbone by talking to the implant professionals at Allure Dental Care of Maple Lawn in Fulton, Maryland. Call the office directly at 240-394-1241, or request an appointment using the online tool. The time to stop jaw deterioration is now, so contact Allure Dental today.