If you're missing teeth due to decay, trauma or gum disease, all is not lost. Modern dental science offers a tooth replacement so lifelike, patients cannot distinguish between their real teeth and their artificial ones. What are these miracles of oral health? They're dental implants, and your Fort Worth dentist, Dr. Brad McConnell, uses them to complete smiles beautifully.
How implants work
In his Fort Worth office, Dr. McConnell places dental implants directly into the jawbone of patients who are missing teeth but overall, are healthy. He evaluates the surrounding teeth, gums and supporting bone to ensure the implant screw will have a strong foundation.
After a careful examination, and digital X-rays, your dentist can proceed with the treatment, numbing the area first to ensure your complete comfort. After that, he opens the gums and drills a small access hole into the jaw. Then, he inserts the titanium implant and closes with sutures.
For several weeks, you'll wait for the site to heal, or osseointegrate. Osseointegration bonds the jaw bone to the titanium implant with exceptional security. However, you can not chew on your implant until this process is complete.
While it takes a few months, the wait is worthwhile, practically guaranteeing that implant will not be disrupted in any way for years to come. In fact, the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness says that implants last 40 to 50 years or even more--in other words, a lifetime.
The unexpected benefits
Due to osseointegration, jaw bone density improves as you use your new tooth. The forces exerted on your implant transfer to the bone, exercising and strengthening it
You'll avoid the embarrassment of smile gaps and the gum and bone degradation which results when a tooth is extracted and either not replaced or replaced with traditional bridgework or dentures. These conventional tooth replacements just rest on top of the gums and cannot preserve the jaw bone.
Bridgework, partial dentures and full dentures which are either fixed or removable also may be anchored with dental implants. The foundation is so secure that patients can eat the very same foods they enjoyed with their natural teeth--corn on the cob, ribs, apples and other items which test the security of dental prosthetics.
Finally, dental implants are easy to maintain. Your hygienist will show you the proper way to brush and floss around your implants, and you might consider wearing a bite guard if you habitually clench your teeth. This appliance reduces the forces exerted by bruxism.
A word about tobacco--please consider quitting your smoking or chewing habit. Tobacco contains toxins which harm gum tissue and bone around natural teeth and dental implants, too. So, give your oral and systemic health a break, and see your doctor about a smoking cessation program.
Book a consultation
Dr. McConnell and his team welcome the opportunity to evaluate people for innovative dental implants. Why not work toward completing your smile by arranging an in-office consultation? Call Harris Parkway Dental Care today: (817) 423-2223.