Not many people will make it through life with a full set of natural teeth. According to the American Dental Association, the average adult between the ages of 20 and 64 has three or more missing or decayed teeth. If this happens to be you, there are many reasons you should replace them. Missing teeth can affect your bite, dictate what you are able to eat and your speech. Even a single missing tooth can cause your remaining teeth to shift which will lead to many more dental issues. With the tooth root missing, that void will also cause your jaw bone to deteriorate. The good news is Tryon Family Dentistry in Cary North Carolina offers many options to replace your missing or decayed teeth. The most natural and durable option is dental implants.
What is a Dental Implant?
The actual implant is a post made out of titanium that is surgically implanted into your jaw bone. Since titanium is biocompatible, it will fuse with your jawbone naturally over time during a process known as osseointegration. This will create a durable base for your replacement teeth. The dental restoration can be a dental crown if you only need one tooth replaced, a dental bridge if you are missing several consecutive teeth, or a denture if you are missing an entire row of teeth. Your dentist in Cary NC will determine the best course of action.
Replacing Teeth With Dental Implants
Dental implants offer many more benefits when compared to dentures and dental bridges. The greatest benefit is they preserve the jawbone leaving you with little chance of suffering from bone loss. Bone deterioration in the face will age a person drastically. Your face will appear sunken-in as the bone slowly melts away. The sooner you replace the missing teeth with dental implants, the more jawbone you will retain. Since the implant is surgically placed, it creates a strong base for the dental restoration. No more dealing with your fake teeth slipping around in your mouth or falling out when you are speaking. Also, you will be able to enjoy a well-balanced diet with no eating restriction. With conventional bridgework, the adjacent teeth have to be prepared essentially damaging perfectly healthy teeth. With implants, you will only be replacing the missing tooth and your healthy teeth are left unharmed.
The Dental Implant Process
Cary NC dentists at Tryon Family Dentistry is able to offer our patients full service dental implants. You will only have to travel to our Cary, NC dental office for all phases of having your teeth implants placed. Dr. Leo A. Haydt IV is an expert implant dentist who has a passion for helping people achieve optimal oral health. At your consultation with Dr. Leo, he will use x-rays, 3-D imaging, and a thorough examination to determine if you have enough bone to properly support the implant.
The next step is to have the implant(s) surgically placed at our Cary NC dentist office. Using information gathered from a CT scan, combined with an innovative 3-D CAD program, Dr. Leo will know precisely where to place the implants during your surgery. The teeth implants will be allowed to heal and integrate with the natural bone and that will take about three to six months. Depending on the location of your missing teeth, Dr. Leo may place a temporary restoration while the implant heals and integrates with the bone.
Once they have fully integrated with your jaw bone and you have healed from surgery, you will return to our office to have the final dental restoration attached to the implant. Dr. Leo will uncover the dental implant and attach a small piece called an abutment. This part will support the dental prosthesis. He will then attach the appropriate replacement teeth: a dental crown, a dental bridge or a denture.
For more information about our dental implant process in Cary NC, contact our dentist office at (919) 295-0969 today.
