Dental implants are the most natural-looking and advanced solution for replacing missing teeth. They replicate natural tooth function. Implants can improve your overall quality of life compared to other tooth replacement options like dental bridges, crowns, and dentures. They can also improve your long-term oral health. The benefits of dental implants far outweigh other dental restorations.
Northborough, MA, dental implant dentist Dr. Robert J. Gauthier offers complete treatment for dental implants. For most cases, Dr. Gauthier will perform the surgical placement of the dental implant and restoration of the dental crown, bridge, or denture.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are the best and most natural way to secure a restoration. They can secure dental crowns, bridges, or dentures. Instead of using the support of teeth or adhesives, implants secure restorations at the tooth root.
Implants are surgically placed into the jawbone to give restorations natural structure and support. Although it takes longer to place implants, they help your restoration function naturally. They also reduce the risk of jawbone deterioration by replacing the tooth at its root.
In general, the implant process takes multiple visits to complete. The first appointment is a consultation. We’ll examine your oral health to ensure that your mouth is healthy enough for treatment. We’ll answer your questions and explain the full implant process. Next, we’ll place the implant post into your jawbone.
The healing process for this takes a few months. During a process called osseointegration, the post will fuse with your jawbone. Once you have healed, we attach an abutment to your implant. Finally, we place the restoration and you leave our office with a newly improved smile.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants are the preferred way to secure restorations for many reasons. Restoring your teeth with dental implants can increase your self-confidence. At the same time, it can improve the function and aesthetics of your smile. Learn more about the benefits of dental implants in our Northborough, MA office:
No Need for Tooth Preparation
A dental bridge requires filing down the neighboring teeth to hold it in place, which can make those teeth weaker. But with dental implants, we don’t need to touch the nearby teeth at all. Implants replace just the missing tooth without damaging the healthy teeth around it. Your teeth stay completely safe during the implant process.
Easy Care
One of the best things about dental implants is how easy they are to take care of. You treat them just like natural teeth.
Other tooth replacement options like dentures and bridges need more attention. With dentures, you have to take them out to clean them properly. They’re also delicate. If you drop them, they could crack or break. Plus, dentures must always stay moist when you’re not wearing them. Letting them dry out can make them warp or become uncomfortable.
Dental bridges also need special cleaning tools to keep food from getting stuck underneath. Unlike implants that stay securely in your mouth, these removable options require more daily effort and care.
Stability
Since dental implants integrate with your jawbone, they’re stable. An implant restoration can eliminate the fear of your teeth slipping around in your mouth while you talk or falling out while you eat.
Dentures will deliver about a 30-40% normal chewing function. Dental implants will deliver a 100% normal chewing function.
Durability
Dental implants are built to be strong and durable. The restoration uses tough materials like porcelain or ceramic. Since these materials aren’t like natural tooth enamel, they can’t develop cavities.
The implant itself goes deep into your jawbone. It’s typically made from medical-grade titanium, which is the same strong metal used in other body implants. Over time, your bone grows around the implant, to make it even more secure.
Cost
Dentures are the more affordable option upfront but also require a lot of maintenance that can add up over time. You will have to buy adhesives, cleaning solutions, and maybe a replacement set.
Removable dentures also need to be realigned or rebased over time. Depending on the wear and tear, all these costs can add up. Dental implants require more cost upfront, but the results will last much longer.
Prevent Bone Loss
If you’re missing a tooth or multiple teeth, that gap can cause bone loss and deterioration in your jawbone. Northborough, MA dentist Dr. Gauthier will recommend dental implants over dentures because they’re the only option for lost teeth that stimulate the jaw bone. Implant posts prevent recession of the jawbone and facial collapse.
Long-Lasting
Dental implants are among the longest-lasting restorations available. With proper care and maintenance, implants can last a lifetime. Traditionally secured restorations can be hard to clean. The extended lifespan of implants reduces the need to replace a restoration.
Increase Confidence
Many patients feel more confident after implant treatment. Implants provide a natural-looking tooth replacement option that blends seamlessly with surrounding teeth. They also renew your smile.
Missing teeth can make it difficult to speak clearly, which can reduce your confidence. You may hide your smile around others. when you restore lost teeth with dental implants, it naturally restores your tooth function and self-confidence.
How Much Do Implants Cost?
Dental implants have many benefits, but we understand you might have questions. Since getting implants takes time and money, it’s normal to feel unsure. Many patients tell us their biggest worries are about pain and how long healing takes after the procedure.
But you should remember that implants replace your tooth at its root. This restores full function to your smile. It also reduces the risk of many potential issues associated with restorations for lost teeth.
As technology advances, the implant process is easier, less invasive, and less painful. These advancements make replacing missing teeth much simpler than it may have been in the past.
Schedule A Dental Exam and Consultation Today
If you have a knocked-out tooth or several missing teeth, we offer dental implants in our Shrewsbury, MA, Westborough, MA, and Northborough, MA. Schedule a dental consultation today with Dr. Gauthier. He’ll discuss your oral health, concerns, and budget to see if dental implants are the right choice.
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