Living with tooth loss impacts your daily life and can take a toll on your ability to chew comfortably, your nutrition, and your confidence in interacting with others. Did you know that losing a tooth also impacts your dental health?
When you lose a tooth, you also lose its root. The loss of a root also impacts the health of your jawbone. When it has nothing left to keep it stimulated, it begins to deteriorate. Bone loss can affect neighboring teeth and even change the appearance of your face.
The good news is that a dental implant solves this problem by replacing your root and your tooth. It's essentially the closest you can get to a natural tooth to restore your smile and protect your dental health. Here's what you should know.
Understanding the Basics of Implant Restoration in Tazewell, VA
At May DDS, Dr. Ricky Alan May restores dental implants with custom-designed restorations that replace one or more teeth. With the help of a trusted local specialist who places implants during a simple surgical procedure, Dr. May supervises the process of restoring your smile from start to finish.
Exploring Implant Restoration Options
Dental implants offer the same great health benefits whether you're replacing one or multiple teeth.
For a single-tooth replacement, Dr. May will create a custom ceramic porcelain crown to top your dental implant. The crown will blend with your natural teeth and complement your smile.
To replace multiple teeth, Dr. May will customize a bridge or denture. Bridges are also made of ceramic porcelain, customized to blend with your smile. While full and partial dentures are typically made of acrylic.
If you're picturing the denture your grandmother wore, think again! Today's dentures look natural, fit better, and are designed to complement your skin tone and facial structure. We can use two to six dental implants to successfully support a bridge or denture, providing excellent stability, function, and aesthetics.
The Implant Restoration Process: Step by Step
Completing a dental implant does take a few months, but the long-term benefits of tooth implants usually outweigh the inconvenience of the wait time. Here's how the process works, step-by-step.
Step #1: The Initial Evaluation
During an initial evaluation, Dr. May can help you determine if dental implants are the right treatment for you. He'll take x-rays and photos and perform a thorough exam to determine if you're a good candidate for tooth implants. To succeed with dental implants, patients must have enough healthy bone for implant support and good general health.
He'll review your options and discuss treatment timelines and costs so you can decide what's best for your smile.
Step #2: Implant Placement Surgery
Our trusted local specialist will work closely with you and Dr. May throughout the implant placement process. They'll perform the implant placement surgery, and Dr. May will monitor your healing process.
During the healing process, your implant naturally fuses with your bone and becomes a new part of your dental anatomy through a process called osseointegration. This process typically takes three to six months.
Step #3: Implant Restoration
After the healing and osseointegration process is completed, Dr. May will place your custom restoration, which could be a crown for a single tooth or a bridge or denture to replace multiple teeth.
Your implant restoration is designed to restore function and aesthetics to your smile.
Step #4: Implant Aftercare
Your implant may be easy to brush and floss, but it takes commitment to a consistent home care routine to be successful. Daily brushing and flossing will keep your implant healthy and bacteria-free.
Visiting your dentist in Tazewell, VA, every six months for professional teeth cleanings and checkups will also protect the health of your restoration. Dr. May will use exams and yearly x-rays to monitor your dental implant so he can warn you of any potential problems as early as possible.
With the right care, dental implants have the potential to last for many years, and for some patients, they may last a lifetime.
The Advantages of Dental Implants
Dental implants offer patients several benefits they genuinely appreciate:
- Natural look, feel, and function
- Bone and bite stabilization
- Excellent longevity
- Restored aesthetics
- Improved confidence
- A wise long-term smile investment
Dental implants may cost a bit more than other tooth replacement options, but they may be a better investment in the long run than a restoration that may need replacing in the future.
Ready to Learn More About Tooth Implants?
If you'd like to learn more about dental implants, contact May DDS at (276) 988-5554 or request an appointment online.