Dental Implants in San Jose, CA

Amidst all the methods modern dentistry has provided to replace the missing, dental implants have proved to be the best and most preferred. Dental implants are said to be a tooth-replacement option that can give you a long-lasting result. Also, implants help in protecting the tooth-supporting bone from further deterioration when it loses a tooth. One of the major consequences of teeth loss is loss of bone.

A dental implant takes the form of a screw-shaped titanium post that serves as a root of a missing tooth. The surgical procedure involved to place an implant is quite minor and requires only local anesthesia. Once the patient crosses the healing period, the implant will be topped with a custom-made permanent crown that will match the appearance of your existing natural teeth.

How do Implants work?

With the help of a minor surgical procedure, our dental implant dentist will place the implants directly into the jawbone of the missing teeth. For a period of months, the dental implants will be left to heal before the permanent crown is fixed. It is during this period of healing, the implants fuse with the jawbone surrounding it.

There are a variety of ways, dental implant treatment can help to replace a tooth or teeth:

Replace one tooth: If you have one missing tooth, a single implant will be inserted into the bone which will act as a root; a crown is then placed on the top to simulate the natural tooth. This method of treatment has the highest success rate and considered to be the best long-term investment for tooth-restoration. It is said to be a cost-effective solution because the implant tooth will never get impacted due to tooth decay and you will never need any treatment for that for that tooth. It feels and functions very much like a natural tooth.

Replace multiple teeth: Implants can provide you with an ideal replacement mechanism if you have more than one missing tooth. The good news is, you don't need an individual implant for every missing tooth. Instead, fixed bridgework can be placed with the help of implant teeth. For example, if you are having three missing teeth in a row, two implants can be placed on either side of the gap; the crown in between will not need an implant underneath. This way, your natural teeth will not be used as a bridge support.

Replace an entire arch of teeth: Famously known as all on four dental implants require only four implants to replace an entire of missing teeth per jaw. If the jaw bone density has deteriorated, five to six implants may be used. Dental implants help to protect your jawbone; it does not slip and last for a lifetime.

Implant care and maintenance

An implant can detach and fail only through two ways: excessive biting forces or poor oral hygiene. Lack of regular cleaning can lead to peri-implantitis which is a destructive bacterial infection. Regular professional cleaning and proper brushing and flossing can help to prevent this. Clenching or grinding of teeth can lead to excessive bite force; an insufficient number of implants cannot handle this force. Probably a night guard can help you with this. After all, implants are a long-term investment and worth to be taken care.

If you are looking for missing teeth treatment, kindly do visit our dental office!