Dental Implants in Springfield, MO
Dental implants have become a widely preferred replacement option for missing teeth. It may be referred to as an oral appliance fixed to your jawbone under your gum line. At iTooth, we use the metal implant screw to secure an artificial tooth structure. Dental implants deliver superior convenience in allowing activities such as chewing your food, speaking, and maintaining good oral health.
Disadvantages of a Missing Tooth
A missing tooth can affect different aspects of your life. The most obvious shortcomings of a missing tooth are that it compromises the aesthetic appearance of your smile. It further disturbs your speech and chewing patterns.
A single missing tooth is enough to change the way you speak or eat your food. It also adversely impacts the neighboring teeth, besides resulting in premature facial aging. Dental implants are restorative appliances that not only fix your missing tooth but also prevent bone loss and malocclusion.
Advantages of Dental Implants
Dental implants give you two-fold benefits when you opt for this procedure for functionality and cosmetic purposes. Their advantages include:
- As dental implants resemble your natural teeth, they enhance the appearance of your face.
- Dental implants fuse solidly with the bone and provide a lasting solution to your problem.
- Dental implants do not require dietary restrictions as they enable you to chew the food properly.
- Unlike dentures, they do not fall out of our mouth.
- Dental implants help improve your speech.
- Dental implants banish oral discomfort
- Dental implants are easy to maintain.
- Dental implants do not require grinding the surrounding teeth to support the restoration like a bridge requires.
- All the teeth in your jawbone remain intact that leads to improved oral health.
How Is a Dental Implant Placed?
The dental implant procedure is an outpatient surgery. The implant is composed of titanium and other materials that fuse with your jawbone, functioning as the tooth's root. The prosthetic root helps to secure your replacement tooth in place and provides excellent stability. After the surgery is done, a few months are required for the implant to fuse with the jawbone.
Once the healing process is accomplished, a connector piece, called an abutment, is screwed into the implant. This piece will serve to attach the artificial tooth to the implant. The tooth can be matched with your existing natural teeth and last for years with proper care and hygiene.
If you want to learn more about dental implants, visit our office, iTooth Family Dentistry, at 5021 S. National Ave Springfield, MO 65810. You can also reachDentist Springfield MO at (417) 883-8515.
