You have choices when it comes to replacing your lost tooth or teeth, many of which depend on how many teeth you’ve lost. For instance, a dental bridge may work best for a single lost tooth, while a partial denture may be needed if you’ve lost several teeth. For many people, however, dental implants work regardless of how many teeth are lost. Implants replace teeth better than their traditional counterparts because they do something the others can’t – they can rebuild the roots that supported your lost teeth and kept your jawbone healthy.
Dental implants are fairly new to the world of reconstructive dentistry, having only been a significant part of clinical dental care for less than a century. However, since then, they’ve enjoyed an over 95% success rate, and for more than just replacing lost teeth. Implants are prosthetic posts that are inserted into the jawbone to replace lost teeth roots. The implant posts are biocompatible, so your jawbone fuses to their surfaces as it heals, making them as permanent as natural teeth roots.
When your jawbone heals, your implants can be used to support a dental crown, bridge, partial, or complete denture, depending on your specific needs. The support offers unmatched stability for your replacement teeth, and also reestablishes stimulation in your jawbone to keep it strong and healthy following tooth loss. Without implants, your jawbone can gradually weaken and grow smaller due to a lack of root stimulation. Only dental implants can negate this effect to reduce your chances of experiencing further tooth loss in the future.