A missing tooth can cause many problems. The obvious is that no one wants to smile if there is a gap in their smile, but there is more to it than that. A missing tooth can lead to speech problems, make it harder to eat, and even cause bone loss. Here at Placentia Oral Surgery, we want you to know that there are things that can be done to replace one or more missing teeth. One of the most common is dental implants.

What Are Dental Implants?

Before we talk about the benefits of dental implants, let us first say a little bit about what they are and who may be a candidate.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth. It is placed in your jaw so that it will be strong. It will look and feel like the rest of your teeth. People will think that it is natural unless you say something about it.

If you do not have enough bone in your jaw, we will start with a bone graft. This is the process by which we can replace bone that is missing. Once that has healed, we will place a screw in your jaw. That will also take time to heal. We will then place a cap on the screw, and it will become a new tooth.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

There are many benefits to having a dental implant. Here are a few of them.

If you are self-conscious about the gap in your teeth, a dental implant will take care of that. You will have a new tooth there so that the gap will be gone.

When you lose a tooth, you will almost immediately start to lose bone on your jaw as well. The amount of bone loss will be significant over time. If you have a dental implant, you will not lose any more bone. With a bone graft, we will also replace the bone that was lost.

Each tooth in your jaw has a certain amount of room that it takes up. When you lose a tooth, there is suddenly an empty space in your jaw. The other teeth can shift over time, which will throw off your bite. A dental implant will keep that from happening.

A dental implant is designed to look, feel, and act as a natural tooth. That means that you will be able to eat the way that you used to. If the missing tooth has affected your speech, the new tooth will help.

It can take a fair amount of time to receive a dental implant, especially if a bone graft is needed. Still, it is time well spent. While your mouth is healing, we will provide you with a temporary cap. Once it is ready, you will receive your permanent cap.

Learn more about dental implants at our FAQ page

Here at Placentia Oral Surgery, we would like to help you to have your smile and your confidence once again. Call (657) 216-1617 to make an appointment. If you are missing one or more teeth, we would like to see what we can do to help you.