If you’re missing one or more teeth, dental implants might be your best bet to restore both your smile and your oral health. Dental implants have become the gold standard in filling gaps left by tooth loss. Read on to learn why…

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Whether you’re missing one tooth or several, dental implants might be your best option for repair. Dental implants have increasingly become a popular, permanent alternative to dentures or bridges as a way to deal with damaged or missing teeth.

At Dr. Raul G. Molina, Jr., DDS, PA, Dr. Raul G. Molina Jr., DDS, and his son, Dr. Raul D. Molina, DMD, have restored countless smiles with state-of-the-art dental implants. Here they answer all of your questions.

How do implants work?

Made from titanium, implants act as a strong anchor for custom-made crowns, bridges, or dentures and are carefully color-matched to your remaining teeth.

While dental implants will normally be used to replace one or several teeth, they can also support a full set of fixed dentures. Getting dental implants may sometimes take multiple appointments, including an initial minor surgical appointment to place the implant itself in your upper or lower jaw.

The procedure for placing your implants varies depending on the location and number of teeth you’re replacing. After the surgical appointment to implant the post, you may need up to a month for your oral tissue to fully heal.

You might also have to spend some time with a temporary crown, bridge, or denture while waiting for your custom-made prosthesis to be ready. Patients are overwhelmingly satisfied with dental implants and don’t notice any negative impacts on their speech or eating abilities.

No damage to your healthy teeth

The most common alternatives to implants are usually fixed bridges which may involve grinding down some of your remaining healthy teeth. To anchor a fixed bridge, it’s necessary to grind away enamel from your adjacent teeth, which may not have any problems of their own.

Bridgework also may deteriorate over time, as the bone in your jaw lacks the natural stimulation it would receive from having a tooth attached. Bridgework can also leave you with root surfaces that are difficult to clean and may experience a higher rate of decay due to increased food trapping.

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Dental implants mimic a healthy root structure, making them work and feel much more like your normal teeth. While it’s important to practice especially good dental hygiene after getting implants, you don’t need to perform any special action to clean your implants beyond a regular brushing and flossing regimen.

Because implants require minor surgery, they’re not right for everyone. However, if you are able to undergo surgery, dental implants may result in the best outcome for you both aesthetically and functionally. If you’re missing one or more teeth and want to learn more about your dental implant options, contact Dr. Raul Molina, Jr. DDS, PA, by calling 305-552-6066, or requesting an appointment online.

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