Dental Implants Consultation in Minot, ND
Your teeth affect your body’s health. When they’re healthy, you’re healthier too. Unfortunately, when a tooth is lost, it can affect your bite, speech, and ability to digest properly. As more teeth are lost, the remaining teeth take on more force and can cause them to wear out prematurely or be damaged or lost. One solution to this problem is dental implants. Broadway Family Dentistry provides dental implants for patients at our Minot, ND location. To schedule a consultation, give us a call at 701-839-1299.
What is a Dental Implant?
Dental implants get their name from the titanium implant, a screw-shaped anchor that screws down into the hole in the jawbone formerly occupied by the natural tooth root. Once the implant is placed, the jawbone accepts and grows around the threads of the titanium prosthetic, making it a part of the jawbone. A post or abutment is then attached to the implant and an artificial porcelain tooth is attached to the post. To the patient, the new implant feels very similar to a natural tooth because it is anchored in the jaw. Patients are able to eat any food with the implant attached and often find it improves their chewing ability.
Why Dental Implants?
Generally, patients lose 25% of their jawbone support within the first year after a tooth is lost. Thankfully, dental implants are a great way to avoid this problem. Dental implants preserve the bone and help you retain your ability to eat and speak normally.
What Are My Options for Dental Implants?
Whether replacing a single tooth or multiple teeth, dental implants are a great way to improve your aesthetics and function. Titanium dental implants can either have crowns placed onto them if replacing one or a few teeth, or they can be used to support other removable appliances like dentures to greatly improve chewing function. Our dentists at Broadway Family Dentistry can help you decide if dental implants are right for you.
What Are The Benefits Of Dental Implants?
Dental implants fit securely and allow patients to chew normally. They are cosmetically similar to natural teeth, so patients can smile without being self-conscious. Another important benefit is that implants also prevent decay in the jawbone that can accompany tooth loss.
What Are the Risks Involved With Dental Implants?
This is an extremely low-risk procedure. Implants have been used for about half a century and have proven to be very effective. The biggest risk involved is of the implant not anchoring sufficiently in the jawbone and the implant failing. Patients that have active gum disease, called periodontitis, are also at higher risk of failure due to bacteria that can cause bone loss around implants. Smokers have increased risk of failure than nonsmokers.
Will The New Teeth Feel Natural?
Yes, dental implants look and feel much like natural teeth. They are constructed to feel like real teeth and are fused to the jawbone so they always feel secure. Implants are often more comfortable and fit better than other options.
How Long Do Dental Implants Last?
Dental implants are incredibly durable; they are far and away the longest lasting dental prosthetic. As long as the patient doesn’t have jawbone deterioration due to gum disease, the implant will often last for decades. If bone heals well around the threads, the implant itself can even last the rest of a patient’s life.
How Do I Care and Maintain a Dental Implant?
Caring for a dental implant is no different than caring for your natural teeth — brush for two minutes twice daily, flossing, and preventative maintenance at the dental office. Some patients also benefit from use of a water flosser or mouth-rinse to keep their bone around the implant healthy.
What Do I Do if My Dental Implant Chips or Breaks?
The dental porcelain used to create the artificial tooth in a dental implant is incredibly strong and durable. However, just like a natural tooth, the artificial tooth can chip or crack if you bite on something very hard. In these cases, the team at Broadway Family Dentistry can often fabricate a new crown to fit on the implant abutment.
What Are the Alternatives to Having a Dental Implant?
Dental implants are the superior method for replacing a missing tooth because they function most similar to a natural tooth and can last for decades. The only other non-removable option to replace a missing tooth or two is a dental bridge. Bridges have crowns on the natural teeth on both sides of the missing tooth. The crowns are attached to an underlying metal structure with a porcelain artificial tooth fused to the metal. If you’re missing multiple teeth, bridges are a more affordable option compared with a series of dental implants. Bridges do not have the same durability as implants.
When multiple teeth and both sides of a patient’s dental arch are missing, they may choose to have a removable partial denture or partial. In this option, metal clasps hold on to the patient’s teeth. The artificial teeth are made of white, tooth-colored plastic and are held in place by pink resin. These can be a cost effective option, but will often catch food and need to be taken out to cleaned.
"Broadway Family Dentistry has the best dental care I have experienced. Dr. Jensen was very informative and reduced my anxiety. Very kind, professional, and friendly staff. Would highly recommend to anyone!"
Dental Implants Consultation in Minot, ND
Are you in need of dental implants? Contact Broadway Family Dentistry in Minot ND today to schedule an appointment. We serve patients in Williston, Garrison, New Town, Rugby, Bismark and Devils Lake, ND and surrounding areas. Call 701-839-1299 or fill out a Contact Form here for more information or for a consultation with one of our talented dentists. Our practice looks forward to serving you.
