What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are artificial substitutes (usually titanium) for natural tooth roots that are surgically placed into the upper or lower jaw bone by a dentist or Periodontist - a specialist of the gums and supporting bone.
Used for many years, dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth and also provide a fixed solution to having removable partial or complete dentures.
Most specialists in dental implants work as a team-the implant surgeon surgically prepares your jaw and a dentist, like Dr. Georgescu, makes your replacement tooth/ teeth. The teeth attached to implants are very natural looking and often enhance or restore a patient’s smile!
Once your tooth is lost, the bone around the tooth immediately begins to dissolve. This process is called resorption. Bone resorption is the process by which osteoclasts break down bone and release the minerals, resulting in a transfer of calcium from bone fluid to the blood. It occurs rapidly after tooth loss and you can lose up to 25% of the mass of bone in the 1st year. After this, the process will continue at a slower pace but will occur forever.
Dental implants are the only tooth replacement that maintains the bone. They also help to preserve healthy adjacent teeth and are the best replacement for function, esthetics, and stability. In the long run, dental implants are often the most cost effective.
With over forty years of research, dental implants have proven to be the most predictable, natural, and longest lasting restorative option. You can use dental implants as anchors to cement individual missing teeth or you can use implants to hold specialized attachments that help secure complete over-dentures or partials.
Do you have more questions about dental implants? Feel free to call us at 845-297-3950 if you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment