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Summer is in gear and outdoor activities remain popular as many people are eager to enjoy the sunshine and all that the summer season has to offer. It's also especially important to protect yourself from potential dangers and health hazards that come with outdoor fun, such as swimming, the sun's harmful rays and even a knocked out tooth. What happens when you knock out a tooth while participating in a summer activity? Although reason for alarm, remember to stay calm and see your dentist right away. Fortunately, there are advanced dental treatments available today, such as dental implants, that can replace missing teeth. Dental implants are an alternative to partial and full dentures or bridges. Working like a tooth, an implant offers more comfort and stability than dentures. By replacing missing tooth roots, dental implants offer more than an esthetic enhancement for your smile. Dental implants provide people with the strength and durability required to eat all of the foods that they love, without struggling to chew. What are Dental Implants? Today, dental implants are virtually indistinguishable from other teeth, which are aided in part by the structural and functional connection between the dental implant and the living bone. Implants are typically placed in a single sitting, but do require a period of osseointegration, which is the process by which direct anchorage of a dental implant root and the bone of the jaw occur. Osseointegrated implants are the most commonly used, and successful types of dental implants. They can take anywhere from three to six months to anchor and heal in a process called osseointegration. Implants are manufactured "anchors" that resemble cylinders or screws, which are used in the upper and lower jaws. They are surgically inserted into the jawbone to become a stable base for artificial replacement teeth. The implant itself will act as the foot of the tooth with a crown, bridge or denture placed over the implant to look and perform like the natural tooth that was lost. Unlike dentures, implants are not removed overnight to soak or clean and require no adhesives. Dental Implants and the Benefits Implants are designed to replicate your natural teeth while restoring function and preventing further decay, dental diseases and bone loss. With a 98% success rate, dental implants have become the clear treatment of choice for patients missing one, a few, or all of their teeth. Advantages of Dental Implants include: * Improved Appearance: Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth-so natural looking no one will notice you have undergone dental restoration.
* Durability: Dental implants rival the strength and function of natural teeth. With proper care, implants can last a lifetime.
* Tooth-Saving: Implants can support themselves and won't alter or impact healthy, neighboring teeth. By filling in the space of a missing tooth, implants protect the remaining teeth from unwanted shifting.
* Comfort: Compared to traditional, removable dentures, secure dental implants are secure and comfortable.
* Renewed Self-Confidence: As a result of preserved bone, improved appearance, comfort, health and function, patients can once again smile, eat and speak with confidence. With proper care, an implant restoration can remain in place for more than 40 years. Maintain proper oral hygiene and you can smile proudly for years to come. If you are missing a tooth or multiple teeth, contact your Ann Arbor implant dentist for further treatment and consultation. No longer do you have to live with missing teeth.
Sean Hartmen writes for leading Ann Arbor implant dentist, Dr. James Lee. Voted the number one dentist in Washtenaw County in 2009 by readers of Current and Parent Magazines, Dr. Lee, Ann Arbor family dentist, is committed to providing quality dental care for his patients. Dr. Lee and his team of professionals provide services for veneers, Botox and implants.
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