Losing a tooth due to accident or decay is always upsetting. No one likes to think about walking around with a hole in their smile. For years, permanent bridges were used to fill the gap. However, a bridge requires that the two teeth on either side of the hole be ground down and prepared for crowns. During the past decade, dental implants have become the preferred method. An implant is a titanium cylinder that is drilled into the jawbone. There is no need to involve nearby teeth. Before this can be done, an Implant Dentist in Shorewood, WI has to take x-rays and a CT-Scan to ensure that the patient has sufficient bone mass to support an implant.
Since Frank R. Galka D.D.S inserts the titanium shaft into the gum and then places a porcelain crown over it. The tooth looks much more natural than a bridge crown that sits on top of the gum. It is also easier to keep clean and care for. It is simply treated like any other tooth. If a patient has a permanent bridge they must carefully use threader floss to clean underneath it. If one of the teeth that are supporting the bridge become infected with decay, then the dentist will have to remove the bridge and repair the tooth.
The titanium implant keeps the patient’s jaw strong. When a person loses a tooth, their jawbone immediately begins to loose size and density. A dental implant acts just like a tooth root. The jawbone has to work to support it and it keeps it’s size and density. After an implant is inserted into a jaw, it takes about six to eight weeks for the jaw to fully incorporate it. At that point it is as strong as a natural tooth root.
Using dental implants to keep dentures in place is one of the most exciting applications. An Implant Dentist in Shorewood, WI inserts several implants in a patient’s jaw. They are topped with small metal balls. The location of these balls matches metal slots in the underside of the dentures. In the morning, the denture wearer takes a clean set of dentures and snaps them into place. They can then eat and speak with confidence throughout the day.
