Park Ridge Dentists Explain the Mechanics Behind Dental Implants

You’ve probably heard of dental implants before and they’re ability to do what no other dental restoration can do—replace a missing tooth’s roots. However, if you’ve lost one or more teeth and are contemplating your replacement options, you may wonder why dental implants are so popular, and how they live up to the claim of preserving your oral health in a manner that dental bridges and dentures are unable to achieve. To help you understand the necessity of dental implants following tooth loss, your Park Ridge implant dentists, Dr. Maria and Dr. Thanasi Loukas, explain the mechanics behind dental implants and the vital functions they restore.

A Different Kind of Tooth Replacement

The purpose of a traditional bridge or partial denture is to fill the gaps in your smile after one or more teeth disturb the ranks. In the case of full dentures, the purpose is to restore all of your teeth on a single dental ridge to restore your mouth’s ability to bite, chew, and speak. The visible parts of your teeth, called the crowns, are the functional tooth sections that perform the main duties of processing your food and forming the proper sounds to affect speech. However, a healthy tooth is comprised of more than a crown.

The root, or bottom part, of your tooth extends through your gums and into your jawbone, which firmly supports and sustains your teeth through these roots. A dental implant, which is surgically inserted into your jawbone, acts as a prosthetic tooth root, and once your tooth replacement is attached, they form a complete replacement of your tooth’s root-and-crown structure.

What is Osseointegration?

When you bite and chew, the stimulation of healthy roots helps maintain a steady nutrient supply to your jawbone. When you lose a tooth root, the nutrient supply diminishes and your jawbone can slowly deteriorate. For a dental implant to be successfully placed, your surrounding jawbone must fuse to the implant’s biocompatible titanium surfaced in a process called osseointegration. If your jawbone has lost a significant amount of structure, you may require a jawbone graft for reinforcement before your dental implant can be surgically embedded.

Restore Your Smile with Dental Implants in Park Ridge

If you’ve suffered tooth loss, speak with Dr. Loukas about your eligibility for dental implants, the only replacement option that restores your entire tooth structure. You can schedule an appointment with your Park Ridge implant dentists by calling Loukas General Dentistry at (847) 696-1919. Located in the 60068 area, we proudly serve patients from Park Ridge and the surrounding Chicago communities.