Des Plaines, IL 60016
Dental Implants
Serving the Des Plaines, IL area
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What are dental implants?
Dental implants are a safe, medically proven, esthetic alternative to traditional crowns, bridgework, and dentures. Because implant restorations look and feel more like natural teeth, they offer new levels of comfort, security and confidence over traditional treatments.
How do they work ?
A dental implant is a small "anchor" made of titanium that is inserted into the jawbone to take the place of your missing tooth root. After osseointegration (when the surrounding bone has healed to the implant), a replacement tooth is secured to the top of the implant. The new tooth looks, feels and performs similar to your natural teeth.
What are the benefits?
Choosing dental implants as a treatment option can offer you a number of significant advantages.
- Maintain anatomy. If you have missing teeth, the bone begins to shrink over time. Unhealthy bone loss can make your jaw line recede and change your facial structure. Dental implants can help prevent deteriorations of the jawbone so your face retains its natural shape.
- Keep your healthy teeth. A better long-term alternative to bridgework, dental implants eliminate the need to grind down healthy teeth when replacing one or more adjacent teeth. Your own natural healthy teeth are not compromised.
- Security. Securely anchored dental implants do not slip or move. This eliminates some of the key problems of dentures, including poor fit, gum irritation and decreased chewing efficiency. The result is superior comfort, reliability, freedom from embarrassment.
Before development of dental implants, dentures were the only alternative to replacing a missing tooth or teeth.
Implants are synthetic structures that are placed in the area of the tooth normally occupied by the root. Implants are anchored to the jawbone or metal framework on the bone and act as a foundation for an artificial tooth or permanent bridge. In some cases, implants can be used to attach dentures.
Not everyone is a candidate for a dental implant, however. For a successful implant to take hold, a candidate must have proper bone density and have a strong immune system. In all cases, dental implants require strict oral hygiene.
Implants are so well designed that they mimic the look and feel of natural teeth. Implants are usually made of a synthetic yet biocompatible material like metal or ceramic.
Surgery is necessary to prepare the area for an implant and place the implant in the mouth. Following the procedure, a period of time is required for the implant to take hold and for bone tissue to build up and anchor the device. In some cases, metal posts are inserted into the implant during a follow-up procedure to connect the tooth.
Because implants require surgery, patients are administered anesthesia and, if necessary, antibiotics to stave off infection following the procedure.
Like any restoration, implants require diligent oral hygiene and proper care to ensure they last a long time.
For more information on Dental Implants in the Des Plaines, IL area call Golf Glen Dentistry at (847) 824-7467 today!
