Depending on how many teeth you’ve lost, you may have several options for replacing them. In many cases, the biggest choice is between a traditional dental prosthesis (i.e., bridge or denture) and one that’s supported by innovative dental implant posts. At our Virginia Beach, VA, dental office, we may recommend dental implants because of the many significant benefits they can offer your immediate and long-term oral health. While placing dental implants is more involved than securing a traditional prosthesis, those benefits make them well worth the effort.
What are dental implants
Dental implants are posts that are designed to mimic the functions of your lost teeth roots. As such, they must be implanted into your jawbone, which can take several months (usually, up to 4-6 months) to completely heal. Once it does, we can attach abutments to the implant posts that extend above the gum line, and the secure a custom-designed crown, partial, or complete denture to them. Unlike traditional prostheses, implants eliminate the need for additional structures such as hidden clasps or crowns attached to abutment teeth. Instead, they offer your replacement tooth/teeth a sturdier, more conservative, and much more lifelike support system.
The benefits of dental implants
Because they mimic healthy, natural teeth roots, dental implants offer your smile a number of significant benefits, including:
- Better support – One of the most immediate benefits of dental implants is the level of stability they provide. The implants are held in place by your jawbone structure, which fuses to the posts as it heals. This means they anchor your prosthesis in place much like healthy roots anchor your natural teeth.
- Greater comfort – The elimination of things like hidden clasps, abutment teeth, and adhesives means that a dental implant-supported prosthesis is much more comfortable as well as stable. With anchored posts supporting it, your crown, partial, or complete denture won’t lose its grip and shift uncomfortably along your dental ridge.
- Support for your jawbone – After losing a tooth root, your jawbone receives fewer essential minerals and nutrients to support your teeth. The lost root means less stimulation in your jaw when you bite and chew, and only dental implants can help you reestablish it.
Find out if dental implants are worth it
Dental implants offer the level of comprehensive tooth replacement that your smile and long-term oral health deserve. To learn more about the advantages of dental implants, schedule a consultation by calling the Absolute Dental Care office in Virginia Beach, VA, today at (757) 428-7440. We proudly welcome patients from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampton, Eastern Shore, and all surrounding communities.
