How Dental Implants Can Keep Your Mouth Healthier

In restorative dentistry, dental implants are used as supporting devices. When a dentist places a dental implant, they insert the device through the gingival tissues into the bone of the jaw. As the tissues heal around the implant, osseointegration occurs.

Osseointegration is the integration of bone material with the implanted device. Bone cells fill the spaces between the jawbone and the implant, securely holding the implant in place.

Dental implants are fashioned from biocompatible metals, such as titanium. As a result, the body is unlikely to reject an implant as a foreign object.

The use of dental implants has become quite popular. The devices can actually promote better dental health. Here are a few ways that dental implants can keep your mouth healthier.

Implants Support Jawbone Health

To remain healthy, the jawbone must receive consistent stimulation. Each time you chew, bite pressure is passed from your teeth to the jawbone, stimulating new cell production.

However, once a tooth is lost, the portion of the jawbone that supported the missing tooth no longer receives the cell-producing stimulation. Consequently, the bone material may begin to thin and weaken. This atrophy may jeopardize other nearby teeth by causing them to loosen in their sockets.

Like a natural tooth, a dental implant transfers stimulating pressure to the bone of the jaw, protecting the health of your jawbone.

Implants Prevent Dental Migration

A missing tooth increases the amount of unoccupied space along the palate. As a result, the teeth near a space left by the lost tooth may move or migrate from their proper positions. This migration can result in dental misalignment.

Dental misalignment can impair your ability to clean your teeth properly. Teeth that are too closely set or in positions that are difficult to reach can be difficult to clean, especially when using traditional floss. This problem may present more commonly among people who have small oral cavities.

Moreover, dental misalignment may impact mastication. When the teeth of the upper palate no longer line up properly with those of the lower palate, the teeth may not grind or tear food as effectively.  Poor mastication can affect the type and amount of nutrients that you receive from your food, which in turn can impact the health of your teeth. Crooked teeth also affect the appearance of your smile.

The placement of a dental implant can protect your current dental alignment by eliminating the space left by a lost tooth. With the dental implant serving as a place keeper, nearby teeth have no additional room to migrate.

To learn more about dental implants, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your local area.