04 Mar Missing Teeth as A Result of Dental Trauma: How Dental Implants Can Help
Facial injuries can result from any number of factors, such as a fall or participating in sports. Unfortunately, some of these injuries may damage the permanent teeth so severely that they cannot be saved.
Dental implants are the best option to replace missing teeth following dental trauma because they offer a structurally complete fill-in for an absent tooth.
An oral surgeon places the implant, which is a small titanium cylinder, into the jaw in an outpatient procedure. Over the course of the next several months, the process of osseointegration, in which the bone forms a bond with the implant, occurs. The implant supports a prosthetic crown, bridge or denture.
The implant serves as an artificial tooth root. This structural characteristic is why dental implants are the preferred method for replacing missing teeth. Alternatives like bridges and dentures do not have a structure that connects to the bone underneath the gum tissue.
As a result, a dental implant provides a stabilizing force that other tooth replacement appliances do not. This prevents jawbone erosion that can jeopardize the attachment of remaining biological teeth, and in this way dental implants may reduce a patient’s risk of further tooth loss.
Dental implants also offer better functionality that fixed dental bridges and conventional dentures do. The connection to the jaw helps an implant chew and process foods more effectively because it works similarly to biological tooth.
Another benefit associated with dental implants is convenience. These devices require minimal care beyond the good oral hygiene routine that we all should be following to begin with.
Your dentist will do everything possible to save your natural teeth after dental trauma, but if that is not feasible or realistic, you can turn to dental implants as a lifelike option to replace missing teeth. If you have already experienced tooth loss as a result of dental trauma, consult with our oral surgeon, Dr. Carlos Ibanez, to learn more about this treatment option and whether it is suitable in your case.