Patient Guide to Dental Implants

 Implants have several advantages over traditional bridges and dentures.  When a tooth is extracted the bone which supported that tooth will shrink due to lack of stimulation from the root of a tooth.  This process is called bone resorption.  Implants replace the roots of missing teeth thereby allowing pressure to be transferred through the implant into the bone; this process stimulates the bone and prevents resorption.  During chewing this mimics the pressure of a natural tooth helping to maintain the jawbone.  Implants do not irritate or interfere with chewing, taste, or speech, unlike dentures.  This allows you to chew all and any type of food.  Implants function and look just like a natural tooth.  So as you can see the world of implant dentistry is constantly evolving to better both the patient experience as well as their health.