When you’re missing a tooth, a dental implant is the best option for the most natural tooth replacement solution. While you may not think a single missing tooth is a big deal, it’s crucial for your oral health that you get it replaced. Dr. Justin Deckard of DC Precision Dentistry discusses the perks of Washington DC dental implants.
What is a Single Dental Implant?
When you get a single dental implant, it starts with a titanium post that’s surgically placed in your jawbone. It prompts jawbone regeneration and the bone fuses with the implant post. A piece called an abutment is attached to the top of the post to connect it to a dental crown, as the final restoration. The crown is custom-made to match the shape, size, and color of your natural teeth.
Why Replace a Single Missing Tooth?
If it’s only one tooth, it’s easy to think that it’s not super important to get a replacement. But even one missing tooth can have a harmful impact on your oral health, aside from the obvious cosmetic concerns. When you have a missing tooth, you’re more likely to lose other teeth. The teeth around this area are more susceptible to gum disease and tooth decay.
Losing a tooth can also impact the full structure of your mouth. When you lose a tooth, the jawbone starts to deteriorate in that area. This causes other teeth around the hole to try and shift to fill the gap that’s there. This can cause issues with your bite and give you crooked teeth that may need to be corrected.
Why Choose a Dental Implant?
Instead of a dental implant, the main other option to replace a single tooth is a partial denture. While this is an economical option, it isn’t the best for replacing your tooth. A partial denture requires metal clips to stay in your mouth that are often visible. They can also move around while you’re speaking or eating, or even fall out completely.
With a dental implant, you don’t have any of these problems. It’s a tooth replacement option that looks and feels like a natural tooth. Because the implant fuses with your jawbone, you don’t have to worry about the restoration slipping or falling out. It helps to spur on bone regeneration and can help to reverse some of the deterioration that’s already occurred.
To keep a partial denture clean, you have to remove it every night to soak in a cleaning solution. But you don’t have that problem with an implant. They just require that you follow a normal oral healthcare routine of brushing, flossing, and seeing the dentist regularly. An implant is a lot easier to take care of.
Getting Dental Implants in Washington DC
Do you think a dental implant can be the solution for your missing tooth? Call us or schedule an appointment online.