What Are Dental Implants?

Missing teeth create spaces in your mouth that trap food and can attract bacteria. However, this ugly little gaps aren’t just reminders that your smile is less than perfect, they can contribute to further problems like tooth decay, bad breath and additional tooth loss. If the gaps are left, over time they can cause jawbone deterioration, jaw muscle atrophy and premature wrinkles around the mouth. One solution to this problem is to fill the spaces from missing teeth with natural-looking dental implants. Dental implants can help eliminate these problems and give you a healthy smile again!

The Anatomy Of A Dental Implant

Dental implants are permanent artificial teeth that look, feel and function just like your other teeth. Dental implants are made up of three main parts: a fixture, an abutment, and a crown. Here is a basic description of each of the three parts.

1 Fixture. A fixture is a titanium piece that is surgically implanted into the patient’s jawbone. This piece of biocompatible material integrate with the jawbone in a process called osseointegration. This piece is critical because once it is completely healed, it provides a strong and permanent support for the abutment and the crown.

2 Abutment. An abutment is the middle piece between the fixture and the crown. Once the fixture is healed, the patient comes back to Dr. Mortensen to have the second piece attached.

3 Crown. The crown is the last piece installed during your dental implant procedure. It is during this step that Dr. Mortensen uses his considerable expertise to craft your replacement tooth so that it perfectly blends in with your other teeth. During the entire procedure, Dr. Mortensen and his staff strive to always make your complete comfort and satisfaction a top priority.

How Do I Take Care Of My Dental Implant?

Besides their obvious aesthetic appeal, dental implants provide many of Dr. Mortensen’s patients with stable, strong and natural looking teeth. Dental implants also help patients maintain a normal dental hygiene routine and allows them to eat their favorite foods again. But the best part of the deal is that dental implants require no special care or maintenance. Moreover, if you brush and floss your dental implants regularly, they can last a lifetime. Dr. Mortensen also recommends that patients go to the dentist at least twice a year.