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Missing teeth are often the result of poor oral hygiene, and if you lose teeth to decay, it can be embarrassing.
For many people, losing teeth is hard to accept at first. This may be followed by anger at themselves or their dental care provider. Eventually, this gives way to acceptance of what has happened.
If that sounds like the stages of grief, that’s exactly what it is. Our teeth are vital to our lives in more ways than we may realize … until they are gone.
Thankfully for our patients, dental implants offer a way to regain much of what they lost when they lost their teeth. Sunrise Dental has locations in Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh. Let us show you what dental implants can do for you.
Emotional impact of missing teeth
From a physical standpoint, missing teeth create opportunities for new infections of you gums, teeth, and jawbone. It can limit the foods you can eat by affecting your ability to chew.
It also changes the way you look to the world and to yourself.
It’s common for people who are missing teeth to become more self-conscious about their teeth. This may make them ashamed to smile.
They may start avoiding social gatherings with family and friends. They may skip out on lunch with their co-workers, and it may affect their work as well. They may start trying to do more business over the phone, rather than meeting clients and customers in person.
When they do interact with people face-to-face, they may begin using their hands, napkins, or whatever else they can find to cover their mouths when they talk.
If any of this sounds like you or someone you know, dental implants may be the solution to your problem.
What implants are
Dental implants are titanium screws that are placed into your jawbone. You can think of it as a prosthetic tooth, in the same way that you are familiar with a prosthetic arm or leg.
More specifically, a dental implant replaces the root of your tooth. The root is the part you usually can’t see. It is the anchor that connects your tooth to your jaw. This secure connection is what allows you to bite with force.
The crown is the part of the tooth that is visible to the world. The missing crown or crowns are what creates the gaps in your smile.
The dental implant serves two purposes. First, it supports the health of your mouth by stimulating the growth of your jaw. When the implant is placed in your jaw, the bone around it reacts much as it does to your natural roots. This spurs new growth and that helps to secure the implant in place.
Second, the implant serves as a platform to attach a dental crown or bridge. Moderns crowns and bridges look and feel like natural teeth, so they will blend in with your remaining teeth.
You have probably already met people who have dental implants without ever realizing it. Your implants give you the appearance of a full set of teeth, as well as the function of natural teeth.
You can take pride in your smile again. You can eat the foods you love whenever you want, and you may just start to feel better about yourself, too.
Types of implants
Before we can place anything, we will look at your bone to make sure it can support dental implants. We also will look at the health of your gums.
Then, depending on your situation we may be able to place one of the following:
– Single implant — This can be used to replace one tooth or a couple teeth that were side-by-side. The implant can support a crown or bridge.
– Multiple implants — If you are missing more than a couple teeth in one part of your mouth, multiple implants can be used to support a bridge.
If you jaw does not have the bone density to support an implant, we may be able to perform a bone graft in that area. A bone graft allows us to add bone where it’s needed to support dental implants.
Talk to our dental team
Getting dental implants is not a decision you should rush. Talk to a dentist at any of our offices in Chapel Hill, Durham, or Raleigh.
We can evaluate the health of your mouth, and we can advise you one the best way forward. We want you to feel confident about your teeth, but we want you to keep your mouth healthy as well.
To learn more about teeth whitening or veneers, call any of our offices at (919) 914-0844 in Cary, (919) 929-3996 in Chapel Hill, (919) 493-3355 in Durham, (919) 878-0055 in Raleigh, or make your appointment with our online form.