If you’re one of the 178 million Americans who are missing at least one tooth or 40 million Americans who are missing all their teeth, you have a couple of options to restore your smile. At her welcoming and comfortable dental practice in Midtown Manhattan, Jessica Pandich, DDS, offers several options, including dental implants.
Dental implants are a great choice for replacing missing teeth. Whether you’re missing one tooth or all of them, they can restore your beaming white smile. Dental implants are placed directly into your jaw and anchored in place with a titanium post. The visible part of the implant is a dental crown.
Dental implant benefits
There are more than just superficial disadvantages of missing a tooth or several teeth. Your teeth are vital in protecting your oral and dental health.
Act and look like natural teeth
Dental implants look and act just like natural teeth. From the titanium post to the crown, a dental implant is custom-designed to fit into your mouth precisely and match any remaining natural teeth. You can bite and chew with dental implants and they don’t interfere with your ability to talk. Dental implants also help hold your other teeth in their correct positions, preventing issues like twisting and drifting.
Promote healthy bone growth
In addition to holding your teeth in place, the roots of your teeth also stimulate bone growth in your jaw. This is critical to maintaining a strong foundation for the rest of your teeth and preventing future bone loss.
Easy care
Dental implants don’t require any special care. You simply brush and floss just like your natural teeth. You don’t have to mess around with adhesives or special cleaning solutions or soaks. You do still need to have regular dental checkups so Dr. Pandich can keep an eye on any remaining teeth and your gum and jaw health.
Permanent
Dental implants are also permanently fixed to your jaw. While there is a very small risk that your implants will need to be replaced, with proper care your dental implants will last for the rest of your life.
Getting implants
Dr. Pandich usually needs several appointments to complete the dental implant process. She begins by verifying that your jaw bone is strong enough to support the implant by performing an X-ray and bone scan.
Then, when Dr. Pandich is sure that your jaw bone is strong enough to support implants, she surgically places the titanium post in your jaw. Over the next few months, the bone fuses with the post in a process called osseointegration.
At your next appointment, Dr. Pandich attaches the abutments that connect the post to the crown. Dr. Pandich takes pictures and molds of your teeth for the dental lab to use while they custom design and make your crowns.
Finally, when your crowns are ready, Dr. Pandich attaches them to the abutments, checks your bite, and polishes your implants until they shine like a natural tooth.
Call Dr. Pandich today or make an appointment online if you’re missing any teeth and want a permanent and natural-looking solution.