Dental implants
Dental implants are
essentially artificial tooth roots. They can be used to replace a single
missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, support a denture or restore an
entire mouth.
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| Implants come in
different shapes and textures |
Implants are made of
titanium. Titanium unlike other metals is not rejected by the body.
Titanium is very strong and is biologically inert. To be a candidate for
a dental implant two criteria must be met. Your gum tissue should be
healthy overall and there must be enough bone present to support the
implant.
Following the extraction of
a tooth the supporting bone begins to shrink both in height and width.
Even if the bone shrinkage has been excessive an implant may still be an
option. Depending on the situation, a periodontist may be able to grow
back the lost bone using regenerative procedures so that an implant can
be placed.
|
crown on a natural tooth |
crown on a dental implant |
Implants can be used to
replace a missing tooth or support a bridge, a removable denture or a fixed denture.
links to more information
about dental implants:
Implants: Teeth That Look & Feel Like Yours
Dental
Implants FAQs
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