You are probably familiar with a dental bridge or a denture. What about dental implants? Across the country, more and more patients are embracing this solution for tooth loss, receiving a durable and lifelike option for restoring missing teeth. What are the benefits of dental implants? How do these replacement teeth work?
Try Our Dental Implant Quiz
- True or False: They replace all parts of your tooth.
- True or False: This replacement option can prevent loss of jawbone density.
- True or False: They last as long as a bridge or denture.
- True or False: The replacement tooth looks natural.
Answer Key
- True. Other prosthetics, such as dental bridges or traditional dentures, only replace the crowns, or visible parts of your tooth. To stimulate jawbone growth and create a sturdier replacement option, a dental implant replace the root as well. Surgically inserted, the implant portion is a biocompatible titanium post that bonds with the jawbone in a process known as osseointegration.
- True. When you lose a tooth the body reads the loss of a tooth root and stops the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jawbone. Without these nutrients the bone dissolves, leading to further tooth loss, facial collapse, and an age appearance. Since the body reads the titanium post placed in your jaw as a natural root, the loss of tissue stops.
- False. A dental bridge and dentures require periodic adjustments and occasionally replacement after 10 to 15 years. However, the implant can last a lifetime, 25 years or more in many cases.
- True. After an oral surgeon places the post you will return to our office, where we place the custom-made restoration. The crown is designed to mimic surrounding teeth, creating a lifelike appearance.
ABOUT YOUR ASTORIA, NY, DENTIST:
Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, a native New Yorker, has welcomed patients and families from in and around Astoria, NY (including Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and all surrounding communities) since opening his dental practice in 1991. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Leibowitz, call our office in Astoria today at 718-728-8320.
