Benefit from One of the Biggest Advances in Modern Dentistry, Dental Implants!
Dental implant services represent one of the biggest advances in modern dentistry. And Sequoyah Dental Arts is proud to provide full-service implant dentistry to our valued patients in Knoxville, Tennessee.
What Makes Implants so Special?
Implants are the closest thing we have to natural teeth. They are just one part of each prosthetic tooth. The implant specifically replaces the tooth’s root. It is surgically positioned in the jawbone. Since implants are made from biocompatible materials, they naturally integrate with the surrounding bone. This process ensures a stable foundation for the replacement teeth that are later attached to the implants. Implants provide support to the prosthetic teeth, so they are “rooted” in the jawbone and don’t move. They effectively become a stabilized part of the jaw.
One implant may be attached to a single crown to replace a missing or failing tooth. Our dentists, Dr. Pablo Foncea and Dr. Mariko McCall, can also connect additional implants to a bridge or denture to replace several missing teeth at once.
Alternatives to Dental Implants
Conventional types of replacement teeth include dental bridges, partial dentures, and complete dentures. Prosthetic teeth in a traditional bridge are held in place by neighboring “anchor” teeth. “Partials” connect to and rely on existing teeth for their stability. Complete or full dentures are held in place by natural suction or with products like denture adhesive. No other prosthetic tooth is designed to mimic the structure of a natural, healthy tooth.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Natural, healthy teeth are not painful. They support optimal and comfortable chewing function, proper digestion, and clear speech. They are strong, withstand everything you put them through (the forces from grinding down food), and generally look good. As the next closest thing to natural teeth, implant-supported teeth follow suit. They are:
- Cosmetic – meaning they look like “natural teeth”
- Durable and strong
- A good investment because they last a lifetime with brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups
- Allow for the proper pronunciation of words and painless
- Provide healthy chewing function
- Easy to adjust to
- Prevent bone loss
Preventing Jawbone Loss
Do you know how your muscles can shrink after periods of inactivity? Well, the same thing can happen with the bone in your jaw.
Your jawbone gets its stimulation from the “activity” of the teeth, the forces generated by behaviors such as mashing and breaking apart food. When teeth are lost, there is no activity. If you don’t use it, you lose it.
As bone tissue retreats or resorbs, all sorts of problems arise. Difficulty chewing can become worse. Since this bone supports your facial structure and tissues, you may appear older than your years. Wrinkles and folds can arise. The lower part of your face may collapse and appear sunken.
Conventional dental prosthetics, such as dentures, do nothing to stop bone loss. But dentures, bridges, and crowns supported by implants do prevent bone resorption, since the implant supporting the replacement tooth is embedded in the jawbone. Energy from behaviors such as chewing food is transferred through the teeth to the implant and bone. These vital support structures remain strong and healthy!
Contact Sequoyah Dental Arts to learn more about this remarkable advancement in dentistry, and see if dental implants are right for you.