Dental implants are the safest and most permanent way for you to replace teeth that you have lost. Implants have between a 92% and 98% success ratio, and that is just the first in a long list of reasons why they are preferable to other methods of tooth replacement. For example, if you have lost a tooth and are using dentures you are familiar with the adhesives and chemical glues that you need to use to keep them in place. These can be messy and are never quite comfortable. With an implant, you can wave goodbye to this mess since the implant is a permanent fixture which is surgically installed into your mouth. Since the implant is a permanent fixture, you never have to worry about forgetting to put it as you are leaving or, worse, losing the denture during dinner. Maintaining a dental implant is as easy as maintaining your natural teeth and exactly the same process.
Dental implants save their most impressive feature for under the surface. While there is nothing quite like the feeling of having a replacement tooth that doesn't look or feel like it is a fake tooth, dental implants have taken syncing with the body to an entirely new level. The implants you are going to have installed are all made of titanium. This is because a few decades ago, scientists and dentists discovered that titanium has an amazing quality. Through a process known as osseointegration, titanium can achieve a complete melding with the organic bone matter in your jaw. This convinces the body, through the jawbone itself, that the tiny metal implants are actually part of the body and, therefore, need to be given the support of a normal tooth. This bodes very well for your implant, hence the high success rate, but it also does wonders for the actual jawbone itself.
Your jawbone is an amazing device that is designed for two purposes. First, and foremost from a survival standpoint, the jaw is designed to support the teeth. By giving the teeth a secure anchor, the jaw provides security, strength, and stability to the teeth. Since the teeth are the first step in the digestive process, the body supports the jawbone as long as it continues to fulfill this part of its mission. The teeth have a symbiotic relationship with the jaw, providing it with stimulation for growth and sustainability in exchange for the stability. Tooth loss, however, leads to the jaw no longer needing to provide this stability and no longer receiving the stimulation. When this happens, the body gets a signal that the jawbone is no longer required for survival and starts to dissolve it as a way to resorb the vital minerals, like calcium, in the bone. This, unfortunately, creates a conflict with the second function that the jawbone performs. Maintaining the structural integrity and bite alignment of the face and mouth.
As the jawbone starts to dissolve, you will start to experience a change in your face. The chin will start to shrivel, often giving people the appearance of “witches chin” while thick wrinkles can also appear making a person look years older than they are. The good news is that with dental implants, the body is convinced to continue supporting the jawbone and more often than not will restore the lost bone density.