The process of dental implants is to provide not only an authentic-looking replacement tooth that enhances a person’s smile, but also to preserve the remaining teeth and jaw bone matter. A missing tooth will allow surrounding teeth to shift naturally towards the gap left behind, due to a change in the patient’s bite. This is because each tooth offers support to those surrounding it; when one is removed, the support is lessened.
An implant dentist inserts a small titanium pillar into the patient’s gum tissue, connecting the pillar with the patient’s jaw bone. Over a period of time, the titanium and bone will fuse together – a process called osseointegration – to provide a sturdy and stable support for the implant, which helps to preserve the patient’s bite strength, and also helps to prevent the remaining teeth from shifting naturally towards the gap left behind by reinforcing their own position in the mouth. The implant dentist caps the titanium pillar with a porcelain dental crown to complete the process and restore the smile’s natural appearance.
A dental implant also helps to preserve jaw bone mass and strength by acting as the missing tooth’s root. The titanium helps to stimulate blood-flow through the gum tissues, promoting healthy gums and maintaining the jaw bone structure. Without this stimulus, the jaw bone would begin to degrade around the area of the missing tooth, while gum tissue would recede, exposing tooth roots.
Combined, these factors could lead to further tooth loss as the tooth’s support is weakened by the loss of support afforded by the jawbone and gums. Losing jawbone and/or gum tissue can also prevent dental implant treatment from being successfully implemented in the future, as dental implants require a good quantity of quality jawbone to successfully bond with.
And so, preserving natural teeth with dental implants can help not only to maintain a healthy smile, but also to maintain regular oral functions that might otherwise become compromised.
To learn more about your tooth replacement options in San Antonio, contact our skilled and professional dental team today to schedule your consultation.
