Dental Implants

Dental implants are a state-of-the-art tooth replacement option that offers a wide range of advantages over other techniques that were once used to replace teeth. Most of our patients at Eric Yao DDS, MAGD who are in need of teeth replacement can benefit from dental implants, which can be used in place of dentures or other prosthetic options like partial dentures or bridges. Implants are used to replace single or multiple missing teeth that are beyond repair.

What is a Dental Implant?

Dental implants are high-tech dental prosthetics that are able to mimic the structure of a whole tooth. Implants consist of a titanium “root” that is inserted into the jaw bone and attached to a crown, bridge, or denture that looks exactly like the patient’s natural teeth. Dental implants not only look like natural teeth, but they also function like natural teeth. The titanium “root” provides a solid foundation for the prosthetic. Dental implants that are cared for properly can last a lifetime.

Dental Implant Benefits

At Eric Yao DDS, MAGD, we regularly recommend dental implants to patients who have one or more missing teeth due to decay or breakage. When the patient’s teeth are beyond repair, dental implants offer a viable solution to the problem. Because the titanium root fuses with the bone tissue in the jaw, this prosthetic solution provides a functional option for anyone who faces the loss of one or more teeth. In fact, the titanium post used to root the implant into the mouth will actually spur the growth of new jaw bone tissues to strengthen the area where the teeth were lost so that patients will be able to maintain the integrity of their facial structure even into old age.

Dental implants provide an excellent alternative to dentures and at Eric Yao DDS, MAGD we regularly consult with patients who are uncomfortable with their dentures and who would like a change. Implant technologies provide a level of comfort and confidence that simply isn’t possible with dentures! Patients with dentures have to change their diet and they often smile less, laugh less, and avoid social situations for fear of having their dentures fall out or move awkwardly in the mouth. Dental implants, on the other hand, allow patients to eat the foods they enjoy (including corn-on-the-cob) and take on public speaking engagements without flinching! Because the implants are solidly rooted in the mouth via the titanium posts that extend like natural teeth into the jaw bone, the prosthetics stay put and can be used like the patient’s natural teeth to eat, speak, and smile.

Durability

One of the biggest advantages of dental implants is that they’re designed to last a lifetime. Most patients with dental implants eat the same foods they’ve always eaten and they brush and floss normally. Dental implants are as firmly rooted in the mouth as natural teeth so they are durable like natural teeth.

Functionality

At Eric Yao DDS, MAGD, we love to give our dental implant patients the ability to speak, eat, laugh, and smile as they always have even after tooth loss. It doesn’t matter whether the patient has lost all of their teeth or only one tooth, dental implants are a treatment option that allows our patients to continue on as they always have in their daily lives.

Appearance

It’s nearly impossible for onlookers to see the difference between natural teeth and dental implants. The implants are designed to look just like the patient’s natural teeth so no one needs to know that the patient has had an implant.

Bone Loss Prevention

If a patient loses their teeth, the jaw bone located under the lost teeth may lose bone mass and density in response. The roots of natural teeth stimulate the jaw bone to produce bone cells and stay strong. Dentures, on the other hand, can result in the loss of jaw bone tissue as a result, but implants stimulate the jaw bone to stay strong just as the roots of natural teeth do. By stimulating the jaw bone to stay strong, patients are less likely to see facial sagging or premature aging in response to the loss of teeth.

Stabilization of Remaining Teeth

The loss of one tooth can cause jaw bone tissues to weaken which can cause adjacent teeth to become loose. Dental implants keep the bone tissues active and strong to prevent the loosening of other teeth in the mouth.

Gum Disease Prevention

A lost tooth can act as a trap for food and bacteria build-up. This, in turn, can lead to gum disease. Dental implants can prevent the development of gum disease by closing the gaps caused by the loss of teeth.

Dental Implants vs. Dentures

At Eric Yao DDS, MAGD, we regularly recommend the use of implant-supported dentures that can provide patients with a strong, stable set of teeth that can be used just like natural teeth for speaking and chewing. Though dentures may originally fit the patient snugly, the lack of titanium “roots” that stimulate the jaw bone to stay active in the mouth results in the eventual wearing-away of bone tissues and a loosening of the denture’s “fit”. When this occurs, the denture becomes uncomfortable and the patient may worry that the denture will fall out of the mouth in social situations while speaking or chewing.

The experience of eating with dentures is notoriously poor because it’s nearly impossible to keep dentures stable in the mouth. This lack of stability is not only annoying, but it’s also unhealthy. Implant-supported restorations, on the other hand, stay firmly rooted in the mouth and they look and feel like natural teeth. Dentures, on the other hand, cover the top of the mouth and they can slip around inside the mouth or even fall out of the mouth while eating or speaking. Indeed, dentures may even make a clicking sound when patients eat.

Most importantly, dental implants help patients maintain a higher quality of life than what’s possible with dentures. Implants not only maintain the health of the remaining natural teeth and the jaw bone, but they also help patients maintain their self-esteem and enjoy the foods and activities they’ve always enjoyed and engaged as they always have in their daily lives. Dentures, on the other hand, are a source of difficulty for many patients which is why implants are always the recommended choice if patients qualify for the procedure.