When you lose a tooth, your smile changes permanently. Fortunately, there is a way to mimic what Nature usually provides. At Mission Point Dental Wellness Associates in Southfield, MI, dental implants are the tooth replacements of choice for Drs. Pillai, Bogrow, and Young. These titanium devices anchor single crowns or even full sets of dentures for unparalleled smile function and aesthetics.
Rebuilding a smile
After dental extraction, your jaw bone and gum tissue start to shrink. This changes your appearance and how well you bite/chew. Over time, your face ages, particularly if you have multiple extractions. While tooth replacement with bridges or conventional dentures help, biting efficiency and jaw bone density continue substandard.
At Mission Point Dental Wellness Associates in Southfield, MI, your dentists often advise dental implant placement soon after tooth loss. Immediate site preparation and surgical insertion of the titanium site allows for more rapid and complete healing and maintenance of bone integrity.
After a few weeks to months, osseointegration (the bone-building and bonding process) progresses to the point where your dentist can attach a post and crown to the titanium implant. Your new tooth is complete and functional, too. Even fully edentulous patients can receive implants to anchor complete upper or lower dentures.
Other advantages of dental implants
1. You have complete chewing power. Eat whatever you like, including corn on the cob, carrots, and steak.
2. Your implant will last for decades. In fact, you may have your artificial tooth for the rest of your life, states the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness (IDIA).
3. Implant sites remain healthy if you brush and floss to remove plaque and stimulate your gum tissue. The implants themselves cannot decay, but the supporting bone and gums can become infected if plaque builds up.
4. The evaluation process is simple; it involves a review of your health history, an oral exam, and special three-dimensional X-rays to determine if you have sufficient bone in your jaw to accept an implant.
5. Most teens and adults can receive dental implants.
We'll answer your questions
At Mission Point Dental Wellness Associates in Southfield, MI, Dr. Lynna Pillai, Dr. Earl Bogrow, and Dr. Greg Young are our dental implant experts. They'll explain your options so you make an informed decision about rebuilding your smile. Call for a consultation at (248) 827-1900.