A missing tooth creates several problems that you immediately notice. You may experience difficulty chewing and cleaning teeth properly becomes a challenge. Less noticeable changes also occur. Your teeth slowly drift toward the empty tooth socket. A tooth missing from your bottom jaw could cause the opposing tooth to drift downward into the space. Replacing a missing tooth prevents these issues and helps your jawbone retain proper density. Only a dental implant allows jawbone to stay healthy and replaces a missing tooth. In this article, Milford implant dentist Dr. Mitchell Quinter explains the process of placing a dental implant.
Implant Placement
Your implant procedure will start with the placement of a small titanium post. Our implant specialist will insert the post into the empty tooth socket, allowing the implant to bond with jawbone. Over the next three to six months, a process called osseointegration occurs. During this time, the jawbone bonds directly to the post, providing for the most secure dental prosthetic available. Dental implants offer another benefit: bone density. The body stops sending necessary minerals to the area of the jaw that is missing a tooth. Osseointegration makes the body believe that a tooth remains in the jaw, so the body continues sending calcium and phosphorus to the jawbone. To ensure your implant procedure begins smoothly, we use cone beam CT scans to examine how much healthy bone exists for placement.
A New Tooth
Once your jaw bonds to the implant, our specialist places an abutment fixture on the implant post, to which he will bond the final prosthetic. You will care for your implant as you would the rest of your teeth, although implants can’t develop decay like normal teeth. You also needn’t worry about your implant’s comfort or appearance. The prosthetic tooth will resemble the color of your remaining teeth and function as if you never lost a tooth.
Schedule an Appointment with Your Milford Dentist
Find out what a dental implant can do for your mouth at our 06460 cosmetic dentistry office. Schedule an appointment by calling (203) 878-6699. We welcome patients from Milford, Orange, Woodmont, West Haven and all neighboring communities.