A dental implant offers a chance to permanently replace a lost tooth, and can do so without interfering with neighboring teeth. The implant itself is not your replacement tooth, but a post used to keep it in position. It is able to do so because it will be inserted directly into your jawbone, taking up the residence that formerly contained your lost tooth root. Once you have sufficiently healed from having the implant placed, a lifelike replacement tooth can be inserted onto it. The replacement look like a regular tooth, and it will be durable enough for you to engage it in biting and chewing food.
Questions:
1. True Or False: Losing a tooth does not have any impact on the odds of whether or not you will lose more teeth.
2. True Or False: A dental implant is a removable dental prosthetic.
3. True Or False: Because they are made with biocompatible titanium, your jawbone will be able to fuse to your implant during the healing process.
4. True Or False: A dental implant can help protect you from jawbone deterioration.
Answers:
1. False! Your teeth are supported in part by their neighbors. A lost tooth means neighboring teeth have less support, and are more vulnerable to loss.
2. False! Your dental implant is not removable. It will be permanently placed.
3. True! One of the benefits of using a dental implant to hold a dental prosthetic is that it has remarkable stability. Over the course of the healing process, your jawbone will actually fuse with it.
4. True! When you operate your jaw, the roots of your teeth stimulate the bone, which helps send nutrients to it. Dental implants can also create this stimulation.
