You’ve got one or more missing teeth: Untreated decay, a deep dental infection, or the trauma of an accident has left you with a noticeable gap in your smile. You want to close that gap and restore your mouth’s appearance.
At A Briter Smile in Los Angeles, California, cosmetic dentist and oral surgeon Ali Khosrovani, DDS, offers dental implants, the gold-standard restorative solution for missing teeth. Here’s what makes implants the top choice among patients and dental professionals alike.
A missing tooth is more than a cosmetic issue. The stability of your jaw and the alignment of your bite are at risk when you have a gap between your teeth. A missing tooth can lead to:
In the long term, even one missing tooth can alter your facial structure by interfering with the normal bone remodeling process. Your jawbone tissue is in a constant state of growth and reinforcement — as old bone cells die off, new ones emerge to replace them, keeping your jaws healthy and strong.
When you have a missing tooth, the underlying jawbone is no longer stimulated by the tooth root to keep remodeling itself. Instead, it starts reabsorbing the unused jawbone. As your bone disappears, your face can undergo unwanted changes, including a collapsed mouth and recessed jaw. Jawbone loss can even increase your risk of losing more teeth.
A dental implant replaces the entire structure of your tooth. Two-thirds of your tooth’s structure exists below your gumline. It extends into the jawbone, anchoring your tooth to your jaw.
A dental implant is essentially an artificial tooth root: It’s a titanium post that’s surgically placed in your jawbone. The implant helps stimulate bone tissue remodeling, prompting the growth of new bone cells that preserve jawbone health and help the post fuse with its surrounding bone tissue.
Once the post has melded with your jaw, Dr. Khosrovani places an abutment on top of the post. Finally, the entire restoration is finished with a dental crown. The only thing visible is the custom porcelain crown.
A dental implant provides the following benefits:
Getting an implant is a multi-step process that takes 2-6 months from start to finish. The exact amount of time it takes for you to go through the entire process depends on how quickly your tissues heals as your jawbone fuses around your implant post.
Once the implant is complete, your new tooth is permanent; you can expect it to last for the rest of your life as long as you maintain good oral health habits, brushing and flossing twice a day and getting regular professional cleanings.
To learn if you can benefit from a dental implant, call 323-255-8774 or use the easy online booking feature to schedule an appointment with our team at A Briter Smile today.
