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What is a Dental Implant?

Shine Senior Smile

Dental implants offer many benefits for people in Long Island looking to replace missing teeth. They offer greater comfort, security, and durability than dentures, and implants may be used to replace one tooth, several teeth, or a full arch of upper or lower teeth. However, you may wonder if a dental implant is just as strong as your natural teeth.

Of course, every person’s mouth is different, and results depend on bone strength, dental health, and the strength of their natural teeth.  The key to implant strength is a firm placement in the jawbone. Dental implants stand out as the strongest tooth replacement option, unrivaled by any other alternative.

What Are Dental Implants?

Every dental implant installed in Syosset has three parts. The dental implant itself is actually a titanium post set directly into your jawbone, where the root of your tooth used to be. This is the only part of the dental implant that is within your jaw and is the strongest part of its construction. Atop the implant is an abutment, a connector that attaches a crown or replacement tooth. The crown provides the visible tooth replacement that you can use to eat, chew and talk on a daily basis.

The titanium screw is the dental implant itself, and it is the key to the strength of this form of tooth replacement.

How Do Dental Implants Compare to Natural Teeth

Dental implants work in much the same way as your natural teeth. Your natural teeth are held in by their roots, and the implant is kept in place by the titanium roots. After your Long Island, dentist places your implants, you will go through a healing process known as osseointegration when your jawbone heals around the titanium screw. Here, the strength of your jawbone and the healing around the implant affect its strength later on.

Natural teeth may move slightly, as they are held into the gums with ligaments, while an implant is anchored into the bone with titanium. This means that implants will not move at all and may actually be able to withstand greater pressure in your mouth than natural teeth, especially if you suffered from gum disease or other oral health risks. Of course, unlike natural teeth, titanium implants are not susceptible to decay, although it is important to maintain your oral health and prevent infections.

In general, keeping your mouth clean and healthy and receiving regular dental check-ups in Syosset are key tools to protect the health of both your natural teeth and dental implants over time.

Can Dental Implants Break?

Just like natural teeth, the crowns or abutments of a dental implant could potentially be broken if enough severe force is applied. However, a dental implant will not break because you ate nuts, chomped on hard foods, or otherwise experienced the normal pressures of life. One of the great benefits of dental implants is their ability to react much like natural teeth.

Of course, during the healing or osseointegration process, it is important to be careful with your implants. Your Long Island dentist will provide you with detailed instructions about how to care for your dental implants in the first few weeks or months following placement. During this period, your implant will fuse to the bone and develop its full strength.

In many cases, dental implants are actually stronger than natural teeth. If you have concerns about your bone health and strength, a bone graft may help to restore the strength of your jawbone for dental implants. Your Syosset dentist at Shine Dental Group can assess your oral health to recommend a plan to replace missing teeth with strong, secure implants. Contact us today at 516-271-0760 or use our online form to request an appointment today.

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