Dental Implants
Menasha, WI
Missing teeth, even a single tooth, can have a significant impact on your quality of life. It suddenly becomes more difficult to eat, and your speech may be affected. Not only that but if there is a visible gap when you smile, your confidence may be affected. What’s more is that when you are missing teeth, your jawbone starts to weaken, leading to an aged appearance and shifting teeth, which can throw off your bite and harm your oral health. At Mid Valley Dental, we use the latest technologies and techniques to provide you with the best oral care possible. To help solve your issues from missing teeth, we offer you dental implants.
What are Implants?
Dental implants are small, titanium rods that are capped with abutments and support false teeth. The rods are surgically placed in your jawbone, and fuse while you heal. Once fused, you are left with a strong, stable “root” that can be used to support any number of teeth.
There are a few different types of dental implants including:
Implants vs. Dentures and Bridges
Candidates for dental implants are in overall good health. If you are a smoker, you must be willing to quit for a period before the procedure and while you heal, if you cannot quit altogether.
One of the most important things to be considered for dental implants is that you need to have sufficient bone mass in your jaw. Every time you chew, your teeth stimulate the jawbone, which sends a message to your body to send nutrients to keep it strong. When you are missing teeth, even just one, you lose some of that stimulation. As a result, fewer nutrients are sent, and your jawbone becomes weak. Without enough bone mass, your jaw cannot successfully support an implant. With the help of digital X-rays, we will be able to assess the condition of your jawbone to determine if you are a candidate for dental implants.
Implant Procedure
The implant process occurs over the course of several months. On your first visit, any unhealthy remaining teeth are extracted. Holes are drilled into your jawbone, and the implants are placed. Before you receive your permanent teeth, your jaw first needs to heal. In the meantime, we will provide you with temporary teeth, so you can eat and speak normally. The dental implant procedure is done under general anesthesia.
As you heal, the bone fuses to the rods, helping to create strong, stable roots. During this time, you will come back to the office for several visits, so that we can monitor your healing progress. Healing can take up to 12 weeks.
After you have healed, abutments are placed on the rods and molds are taken of your mouth. These molds are used to create your permanent restorations, whether it’s a single tooth, multiple teeth or an entire arch. This can take up to two weeks to complete, so you will return for a final time to have your permanent teeth screwed into place.
Dental implants offer you numerous benefits:
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Better eating, which promotes better digestion.
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Improved speech.
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Implants are permanent. They do not need to be removed for cleaning, and can, in fact, be cared for just like natural teeth.
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Implants do not slip or fall out like traditional dentures.
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With a complete smile, you can regain your confidence. |
Don’t let missing teeth affect your life. Call Mid Valley Dental today to schedule your consultation.
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