Dental Implants
If you want to replace missing teeth but don’t want removable dentures, dental implants are the solution you’re looking for! Patients in Moorhead, MN who have chosen implants are delighted to find that they look, feel, and function just like real teeth.
It is always best for your oral health to replace missing teeth as soon as possible. There are several other tooth replacements available, but they don’t offer all the benefits that dental implants do.
Our dentist recommends dental implants because they help support better oral health; our patients appreciate them for the dramatic positive impact implants have on their comfort, confidence, and quality of life.
How Do Dental Implants Work?
A dental implant is a tiny titanium post that acts as an artificial replacement root for a lost tooth. Titanium is a biocompatible material, which means that it is readily accepted by the body. After the implant post is placed in your jaw, we leave it to heal for several months.
During healing, the implant post bonds with bone and tissue around it and becomes part of your dental structure, the same way the natural tooth root was. An implant is the only prosthetic tooth that works this way, unlike bridges and dentures that sit on top of your gums.
After the implant post heals completely, Dr. Andrew Atchison restores chewing function and appearance with a beautifully-crafted dental crown, bridge, or denture.
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a long-term investment in your oral health, comfort, and confidence. Many people forget that it’s not a real tooth, but the benefits of dental implants continue to accrue:
- A one-tooth replacement – A dental implant is a freestanding tooth replacement, which means we don’t have to alter the structure of other teeth as we would with a dental bridge.
- Easier eating – If you wear ill-fitting dentures that slip and shift in your mouth, eating nutritious foods like fresh fruits and vegetables can be challenging. With a dental implant, you don’t have to limit your diet and can eat whatever you want.
- Improved comfort – Dentures that don’t stay in place cause soreness and irritation. A dental implant that stays put feels so natural that you might forget it’s not your natural tooth!
- Stabilizes your jawbone – When you lose a tooth, your jawbone starts to break down. By replacing it with a dental implant, we stimulate the jawbone to keep regenerating.
Dental Implants Hold Your Dentures in Place
Removable full and partial dentures have helped millions of people and will always be an excellent tooth replacement. The drawback is that they don’t typically stay in place very well and have a habit of shifting or falling out at the most inopportune moments!
If you would rather not deal with the drawbacks of removable dentures, we would love to tell you how implant-supported dentures work. Dr. Atchison can place as few as four dental implants along your jawbone and design dentures to snap onto them. The result is a set of replacement teeth that are every bit as stable—if not more so— than your own teeth.
Learn More about Dental Implants in Moorhead, MN
If you would like to learn more and see if one or more dental implants are a good fit for your needs, call our Moorhead dental office to schedule an appointment.
