When people lose one or more of their natural teeth, this could eventually lead to serious complications, including the risk of additional missing teeth. In order to help preserve your smile and fill these gaps, we may suggest implant dentistry. In today’s blog, your Livonia, MI, dentist will discuss our mini dental implants and teeth in a day!
The Dangers of Tooth Loss
Losing teeth impacts our ability to speak clearly, and even our ability to eat. In fact, being forced to subsist on soft food items due to tooth loss deprives your body of essential vitamins and nutrients. The strain on your jaw joints and the changes to your bite balance due to missing teeth also increases the risk of uncomfortable TMJ disorder and bruxism, two disorders linked to headaches, jaw pain, and in some cases, damaged teeth. The body will also take note, suspending the flow of nutrients to the jawbone around lost teeth. Being deprived of these nutrients means the bone tissue begins to break down, losing mass and density. Not only does this cause further tooth loss, but this could also lead to prematurely aged appearance as well!
Preserving Your Smile
A dental implant is accepted by the body as a natural tooth root, as we create them from biocompatible titanium. Inserted into the jawbone, they eventually bond with the bone tissue through a process known as osseointegration. Not only does this process ensure stability, but it also allows your new teeth to last for decades, possibly a lifetime, while other prosthetics need replacement every 10 years or less. You can eat your favorite foods, speak without difficulty, and enjoy optimal oral health as well! Of course, we also create the restorations and bridge/denture portions from lifelike materials, so your smile looks beautiful as well.
Mini Implants and Teeth in a Day
If you’ve already lost significant jawbone tissue as a result of missing teeth, this could have a negative impact on your ability to receive dental implants. However, for these patients we may offer mini dental implants, which are smaller and require less bone structure to stay in place. Which means we could potentially place new teeth without the need for bone grafting or sinus augmentation beforehand. We also have the ability to use fewer implant posts for some patients, providing a full set of teeth in a single visit. For teeth in a day, we can remove remaining teeth and place your new ones. We then attach a durable and temporary set of dentures to last until your final set is complete, so you leave with a full smile same day!
Do You Have Questions About Treating Tooth Loss?
We can help you enjoy a healthier smile (and a more attractive one) with implant dentistry. To learn more, call James Stewart, DDS, dental implant office in Livonia, MI, at (734) 425-4400. We also serve the residents of Farmington, Plymouth, Dearborn Heights, and all surrounding communities.