Are you an adult missing one or more permanent teeth? If so, turn to our Tallahassee, FL, dentists, Dr. James Walton III and Dr. David Cardman, for dental implants, a small metal restoration that can give you back a full, confident smile. Implants are designed to take the place of your missing tooth’s roots, which means that they function just like real teeth do. In fact, while nothing is as good as maintaining all of your natural teeth, when you are faced with tooth loss, implants are truly the closest you can come to the real thing.
Dental implants can be used to replace one, two, several or even all of your missing teeth. As long as you are a healthy adult you could be an ideal candidate for these tooth replacements. When you come in for your consultation with one of our Tallahassee general dentists we will need to perform a thorough evaluation, which will include x-rays, to check the health of your teeth, gums, and jawbone before we decide whether you are an ideal candidate for implants.
The health of your jawbone is vitally important for supporting the implant. If tooth loss is left untreated the jawbone begins to lose density. By getting a dental implant as soon as possible after tooth loss the restoration can help you prevent jawbone loss altogether. This is because the implant is surgically placed into the jawbone where it will naturally meld together with the jawbone to support and stabilize the false tooth that lies over it. This oral prosthetic is the only one that actually fuses together with the jawbone and natural tissue.
What makes dental implants unique from other tooth replacement options is that it not just looks but also functions like real teeth. Since implants become one with your jawbone this also means that with the proper maintenance and care you could end up having your implant the rest of your life.
Once the implant and jawbone have fully integrated the next step will be to place an abutment on top of the implant. An abutment is meant to connect your implant with a dental crown or false teeth. In some cases, an implant may also come with an abutment; however, if your implant doesn’t have a built-in abutment we will need to attach this structure on top of the implant through another minor surgery. While your gums heal we will have a dental lab create your false tooth. Once your gums have fully healed it’s time to come back so that we can attach a dental crown over the implant.
Here in Tallahassee, FL, our dental team cares about your oral health. If tooth loss has affected your smile and your life it’s time you talked to us about the best ways to fix it. We would be happy to sit down and discuss implants and other treatment options we have to offer.