Today, you have quite a few options if you lose a tooth. You can get dentures to fill in the gap. You could choose a bridge to anchor a replacement tooth in place. But if you want a tooth that looks and feels just like your natural one, a dental implant is your best option.
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Once rooted in your mouth, your dental implant should last for life, and you’ll be able to eat, talk, and smile normally with it. That’s why, here at Modern Day Dental, Andrew Day, DDS, and our team offer implant restorations. You can visit our office in Santa Clara, California, to find out if this replacement tooth type is best for you.
Generally, three things make you a good candidate for a dental implant:
Good overall health
In order to place your dental implant, Dr. Day anchors a metal post in your jawbone. This serves as the root for your replacement tooth, enabling it to function just like any other tooth.
While dental implants are the longest lasting, most natural feeling type of replacement teeth, getting your dental implant placed requires oral surgery. To ensure the best outcome from this surgery — and to help you avoid complications — Dr. Day recommends this procedure for patients who are in generally good health.
Adequate bone in your jaw
After Dr. Day places the post for your dental implant, your body goes to work. It starts the process of osseointegration, or fusing the post with your jawbone. This is what holds your replacement tooth stably in your mouth, allowing you to talk, eat, drink, and more, just like you would with a full set of natural teeth.
But in order for your jaw to accommodate the post and heal around it, you need to have sufficient jawbone density. Dr. Day can help you determine if your jawbone is healthy and sturdy enough to support a dental implant.
Healthy gums
Osseointegration takes time. In the months that follow the placement of the post for your dental implant, you need to maintain your oral health so your mouth can tackle the work of integrating your dental implant.
Healthy gums play a role here. As a result, Dr. Day recommends treating periodontitis before you start the process of getting your implant.
A wide variety of people are candidates for dental implants, but it can be hard to tell if you have what you need — like sufficient jawbone density — on your own. To find out if a dental implant could be right for you, call our office today.
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