Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
Smiling with missing teeth can be embarrassing in social situations. You may find yourself trying to cover your mouth with your hands or try smiling with your mouth sealed tight. Many people research options to fill in the gap but can quickly become overwhelmed with the enormous amount of information available. Although traditional treatments like crowns, bridges, or dentures can address your missing tooth condition, they are not always a suitable choice. Our Okemos implant dentist at Tenaglia Smiles, Dr. Christine Tenaglia, shares on the blog today why she recommends implants to replace missing teeth over other restoration options.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants require multiple steps and time to provide a permanent solution for missing teeth. First, our Lansing implant dentist surgically inserts a titanium post into your jawbone that performs like a tooth root. Then, after healing, the titanium post receives an artificial dental crown color-matched to your surrounding teeth. This surgical process may sound painful, but your mouth is numb during your procedure. Once complete, others cannot distinguish between your natural teeth and your implants since they look, feel, and act like your natural teeth. Most patients report that getting their implant placed was easier and less painful than extracting their bad tooth.
Why does Dr. Tenaglia recommend dental implants to replace missing teeth?
At Tenaglia Smiles, we use multiple dental techniques to fill in the gap caused by missing teeth. However, Dr. Tenaglia often chooses implants because of their protective nature and structural soundness compared to other missing tooth treatments. Below are additional reasons why our East Lansing implant dentist feels dental implants are the best missing tooth replacement option for healthy individuals.
- Dental implants look, feel, and act like natural teeth.
Once your process is complete, you may not notice your new tooth in the mirror. Since implants mimic the natural color, shape, structure, and function of your surrounding teeth, they are undetectable by others.
- Dental implants are a permanent solution that can last a lifetime.
Barring any accidents, your dental implants can last for the remainder of your lifespan if you care for them with daily oral hygiene. So, avoid clenching and grinding your teeth or chewing on hard objects like ice, pen caps, fingernails, or hard candy. Additionally, brush twice and floss once daily to keep your implants and surrounding teeth debris and reduce harmful oral bacteria.
- Dental implants are incredibly strong and sturdy.
Teeth replacement options like dental bridges depend on the strength and sturdiness of surrounding teeth for success. Unfortunately, the space underneath the bridge can shrink over time due to jawbone and gum recession, creating an obvious gap between your gum line and the bridge. However, you won’t have that problem with dental implants because they fuse to your jawbone. Hence, they are the most sturdy missing tooth solution.
- Dental implants help prevent jawbone resorption.
Your tooth roots stimulate your jawbone to keep it healthy. Unfortunately, the stimulation ceases when you extract a tooth, and the jaw bone begins to resorb back into the body. Over time, the condition can cause a sunken facial appearance, changes your bite pattern, or creates more advanced dental conditions like temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJ. However, the titanium post stops further bone loss by stimulating the jawbone and helping reduce the risk of additional tooth loss or dental problems that occur when you don’t replace a missing tooth.
- Dental implants don’t negatively affect other teeth.
Dental crowns and bridges require support from surrounding teeth. Unfortunately, dental bridges and partial dentures rely on surrounding healthy teeth for support. On the other hand, dental implants fill the missing tooth space only and don’t require assistance from other teeth.
Dental Implants in Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
If you’re missing a tooth, you deserve the best treatment available so that you can protect your oral health and restore your smile. Even though other restorative or cosmetic treatments may work, dental implants are the only permanent stand-alone solution for missing teeth. If you want to find out if dental implants are right for you, contact our Okemos dental office, Tenaglia Smiles, by calling (517) 347-6733, or contact us online to schedule an appointment.