The Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants are a state-of-the-art method for restoring smiles affected by tooth loss. In addition to filling in the gaps where teeth are missing, dental implants deliver many more benefits. Dr. Daniel Grode and Dr. Joseph Kirkwood, the experienced dentists at Beckwith Family Dental Care in Grand Rapids, MI, can determine if dental implants are a possibility for you.

What are Dental Implants?

A dental implant is a tiny metal post that resembles a screw and functions like a tooth root to hold an artificial tooth in place. Dental implants are versatile. Whether you are only missing one tooth or several teeth, dental implants can help restore your smile. They can be used in conjunction with dental crowns, bridgework, and implant-supported dentures to permanently replace missing teeth.

Dental implants are placed in the jawbone, which is one of the reasons they are so secure. After a dental implant is inserted into the bone, the metal implant and bone tissue gradually begin fusing over the course of a few months through a natural process called osseointegration. Once the two are completely fused, crowns, bridgework, or dentures can be attached to the dental implants.

Not everyone will be a candidate for restoring their smile with this method. Since dental implants are inserted directly into bone, patients must have an adequate amount of bone tissue to support the placement of the implants. An unfortunate side effect of tooth loss is bone loss in the jaw area so dental implants do not work for everyone. The skilled dentists at our office in Grand Rapids, MI, can assess whether dental implants are an option for you.

Benefits of Dental Implants

There are several incredible benefits associated with dental implants. They truly are a state-of-the-art method for restoring smiles. Some of the many exciting benefits include:

• Versatile — Dental implants can be used in conjunction with crowns, bridges, and dentures to replace one tooth or several teeth.
• Improved Appearance — Dental implants restore beauty to your smile by filling in the excess spaces left by tooth loss, with the added benefit of boosting self-esteem.
• Improved Function — Dental implants restore biting and chewing functions that were affected by tooth loss.
• Reduced Strain — Dental implants reduce excess strain on remaining teeth by providing a full set of teeth to help with the workload of biting and chewing.
• Side Effects Minimized — By filling in the gaps where teeth are missing, dental implants help reduce many of the side effects of tooth loss, such as facial sagging or teeth shifting out of place.
• Preservation of Bone — Dental implants help prevent bone loss in the jaw area by stopping the body from reabsorbing bone tissue following tooth loss.
  
  

You can enjoy numerous benefits when you choose to restore your smile with dental implants. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Grode or Dr. Kirkwood to learn more about the benefits of dental implants by calling Beckwith Family Dental Care in Grand Rapids, MI, at (616) 459-0478.