Did you know that a damaged or missing tooth can change how you look over time? It’s due to the deterioration of your jawbone. This bone is responsible for maintaining your overall facial structure, and when you lose a tooth or teeth, this can cause your jaw and cheeks to shrink. Dental health professionals address this problem by using dental implants to replace any unhealthy, chipped, impacted, or extracted teeth.
What is a dental implant, and how does it improve your facial appearance? This article will explain everything you need to know about this dental procedure, from its basic definition and components to how artificial teeth replacements can enhance your smile and overall appearance.
What is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is an artificial root embedded into the jawbone or skull. It’s made of medical-grade materials, such as titanium or zirconia. The former is a common dental material because of its biocompatibility with natural bone, helping them fuse over time to create a permanent fixture. The dental implant then acts as a permanent orthodontic anchor for a fixed or removable artificial tooth.
If you’re looking at dental implant surgery as a solution to replace lost teeth, it’s important to know what an implant and its components are.
Dental Implant Components
A single dental implant has three parts: the fixture, abutment, and prosthetic crown.
Fixture
The fixture is what goes into your bones and fuses with the jaw over time. As an artificial root, the fixture serves as a foundation that supports the entire structure. Its shape looks like a threaded bolt shaft.
Your dental health professional will add a special formulation of bone regeneration ingredients to speed up the fixture’s integration with your bone.
Abutment
An abutment acts as a connecting element that links the fixture to the artificial tooth.
The abutment extends just above your gumline. It resembles a small stud made of the same materials as the fixture for easier osteointegration.
Prosthesis
The final component is the prosthetic crown. This part completes the final dental implant. Depending on the type of anchor components used for the implant, a crown can be screwed, clipped, or cemented into the fixture.
Artificial crowns can last for a lifetime. They are biocompatible and medical-grade materials that are strong enough to function like natural teeth. They are corrosion-resistant, too.
How can dental implants improve your facial appearance?
Aside from helping you get back your beautiful smile, dental implants can instantly and permanently change your overall facial appearance. Dental implant procedures have changed the lives of many people for the better because of the following benefits of getting one:
Dental implants can restore your natural facial structure.
As mentioned earlier, lost teeth or even a single missing tooth can gradually change your facial appearance.
How does a missing tooth change your appearance?
The loss of teeth activates the process of bone resorption on the jaw or the destruction of bone tissues, resulting in decreased bone mass and density. The body thinks that the bone where the tooth used to sit is no longer performing its function.
Hence, the body will take away the calcium in that area and redistribute it somewhere where it is needed. It will also stop delivering the nutrients that the bone badly needs.
The process happens right after the loss of the tooth. Bone resorption can worsen over time, causing your cheeks to shrink and the surrounding bones to weaken. This issue is common among the elderly with missing teeth; bone loss issues and calcium deficiency can amplify its effects.
People, young and old, can suffer from bone resorption and its long-term effects. This is where dental implants come in.
How does a dental implant improve your appearance?
As a tooth replacement implanted directly in the jawbone, the restored tooth can reactivate the jaw’s functionality. It then signals your body to resupply it with calcium and other minerals needed to accomplish two things: first, strengthen the bone around the replaced tooth, and second, fuse the artificial and biocompatible root with the natural bone for a permanent fix.
After losing a tooth, it’s advisable to consult dental professionals immediately. The longer you wait, the worse the bone loss is for your jaw. Although you can have the procedure any time after the tooth is lost or extracted, waiting for too long will make the procedure not as straightforward as it is. Massive bone loss in your jaw will require a bone graft before you get approved for dental implant surgery.
A dental implant can help combat visible signs of aging.
Recovering your initial facial structure also means regaining your youthful look. When your jawbone is in the restoration process, you can observe how your once-shrunken cheeks and gums start to recover their original form.
The resulting recovery is visible in the skin. Your facial skin will look tighter and firmer, minimising existing laugh lines, wrinkles, and other visible signs of aging on the face.
Improved gum health can also give you a better, wider smile. Dental implants look just like natural teeth, and they flawlessly blend in without attracting attention. No retainers, protruding metal rods, or discoloured material. Just clean, white, and natural-looking teeth.
Nothing can beat the anti-aging appearance of tighter facial skin and a brighter smile. If you combine these with the daily habits of brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits, you can look and feel young again.
Permanent dental implants help you regain your mouth’s full functionality.
Preventing bone resorption and restoring jawbone health through dental implant surgery can help you regain your mouth’s full functionality. Unlike other artificial teeth solutions, a dental implant replaces damaged or missing teeth with a strong, artificial crown and fixture that can take on hard-to-chew foods. These include fresh vegetables, fruits, white meat, and other nutritious foods that need good chewing and digesting.
A complete and fully functioning mouth can make creating a meal plan that benefits your overall health easier.
Aren’t healthy, fit, and well-nourished people more attractive?
Of course, it’s still advisable to never eat gobstoppers, but having the freedom to finally eat whatever you want without worrying about your artificial teeth falling out can improve your life.
Dental implants are the proper and effective alternative to cosmetic surgery.
People who are not aware that dental health can dramatically change their appearance tend to rely on expensive cosmetic procedures. They hope that facial sculpting and injecting fillers can reverse the aging effects caused by bone mass and density loss.
Ignoring the actual issues and depending on faulty remedies won’t solve the problem.
If a change in your appearance is occurring due to a dental issue, visit your dentist for a consultation. They’ll help you understand which procedure you need and what solutions can serve you best.
Restoring your teeth with implants helps you get your confidence back.
Confidence is the most attractive characteristic that a person can have. Your smile and overall appeal also look and feel different if you are confident about yourself. Confident people have this unique sort of glow and positivity every time they smile. With the help of a dental implant, you can be this person too.
As discussed in this article, a teeth replacement solution can help you restore your smile and your confidence. It can restore your natural facial structure, help stave off visible signs of aging, and give you the freedom to enjoy healthy food without worries of damaging your artificial tooth. Most importantly, aside from transforming your appearance, this procedure can dramatically change your life and help you feel beautiful, inside, and out.
It’s not too late to regain your smile. Visit your trusted dental clinic today and find out how a dental implant can change your life!
