Dental implants are a permanent solution to replace your missing teeth. They are surgically placed in the jawbone, and over time, the bone will fuse with the implant, creating a stable base for an artificial tooth. Dental implants can be used to support individual crowns, a bridge, or a denture.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are metal posts that are inserted into the jawbone and capped with a dental crown or other restoration to replace missing teeth. They are used as an alternative to dentures or bridges and are a permanent solution. An implant supports a crown or restoration that looks just like your natural teeth, so no one will even know the difference!

Benefits of Dental Implants

In addition to being comfortable and natural-looking, dental implants have many other benefits over traditional tooth replacement methods. They allow you to eat the foods you love and speak normally, but without the hassle of removing them every night and cleaning them each time you need to put them back on. 

Dentures can slip out of place easily and make eating difficult. Dental implants are very sturdy and will not be damaged when you eat hard foods or engage in physical activity such as sports.

Dental implants also stimulate bone growth and protect against bone loss in the jaw. Bone loss can occur with tooth loss because the missing tooth roots are no longer stimulating the jawbone. This can cause the bone to shrink over time, which can alter the shape of the face and make you look older. 

With dental implants, however, the jawbone is stimulated just like it was before, which helps maintain the youthful shape of the face by preventing bone loss.

Finally, dental implants do not negatively affect surrounding teeth. Traditional bridges require the removal of enamel from the teeth on either side of the gap in order to place the bridge. This can cause damage to the teeth next to the gap and also alters their structure. Dental implants do not require this removal, thus preserving the health and structure of surrounding teeth.

How Are Implants Placed?

To place dental implants, our dentist in Greenbelt, MD, must first examine the health of your jawbone at the implant site. Then, we will create a treatment plan to ensure the success of your procedure and address any underlying conditions that could affect the implants. 

The dentist will start the process by removing damaged teeth or gum tissue and thoroughly cleaning the site. This is typically performed under local anesthesia to numb the area so that you don’t feel discomfort during the procedure. Finally, the doctor will insert your new dental implants in the jawbone and allow them to heal. This can take a few months. 

Once your implant is fully healed and fuses with the jawbone through a process called osseointegration, you’ll be able to return to our dental office to complete the process of placing the new tooth. This involves cementing the crown onto the abutment of the implant. 

Our dentist in Greenbelt, MD, will take an impression of your mouth in order to create this artificial tooth. It’s designed to match your surrounding natural teeth in both appearance and function. 

Aftercare for Implants

Caring for your dental implant is just as important as caring for your natural teeth. Be sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, ideally after every meal. Avoid using your teeth as tools to open packages or crack nuts. Also avoid using your teeth to cut tape or string, as this can weaken them over time.

Smoking can increase the risk of complications with your dental implants. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask our dentist in Greenbelt, MD, to help you quit as soon as possible. This will improve your chances of a successful implant and long-lasting results.

It’s also important to attend all of your regular check-ups with the dentist after your procedure. During these appointments, our doctor will monitor the healing process and ensure that everything is going well. If any issues do arise, they will be easier to treat when diagnosed early.

Want to learn more about our dental procedures? Call us at (301) 321-9966 or visit our dental office located at 7501 Greenway Center Dr Suite 260, Greenbelt, MD 20770.