While you may have heard of a titanium dental implant you might not be familiar with it and what it does. Don’t worry, because if you are considering getting a dental implant or implants to replace missing teeth, we have you covered. We’ll tell you everything you need to know in this post and probably, more besides! So sit back, relax and let’s begin…
Dental Implants – A Misnomer
To most people, a dental implant represents the entire restoration that replaces a missing tooth, yet to a dental professional and those in the know -including you– it means something different.
A dental implant is essentially the titanium screw plus the abutment that collectively act as a replacement tooth root. The visible tooth you see when you smile is a separate entity known as the prosthetic crown or restoration.
So why do we need to replace a tooth root?
As the name suggests dental implants are secured or ‘implanted’ into the jaw bone at the missing tooth site.
This is the only form of tooth replacement to do this and in doing so, it has a number of advantages.
One of those advantages is that by acting as a substitute tooth root, it re-stimulates any remaining bone tissue that once supported the ‘real’ tooth root. This prevents the bone tissue from being reabsorbed back into the body.
So why is this important?
Unfortunately, when a tooth is missing, the bone tissue at the missing tooth site is no longer needed. The body will reabsorb it and redistribute the nutrients where they are better needed. What this means is that over time, the jaw bone will start to shrink. This in turn causes sagging facial features and a sunken, ageing look.
So, by restimulating the bone tissue, the titanium dental implant will signal to the body that the bone tissue is needed to support the artificial tooth root and hey presto.. no more bone loss!
But wait, there’s more…
Because dental implants are made from titanium, they have biocompatible abilities. In other words, each dental implant can fuse with the bone. Known as osseointegration, this is a vital part of the dental implants process and is what creates a super-strong foundation as it becomes, essentially, part of the mouth.
Once fully stabilised in the mouth, this platform or foundation can function as a standalone tooth replacement or work as part of a group of implants supporting a larger structure such as a full denture.
The Results Of Fully Stabilised Dental Implants
As you can imagine, once you have a rock-solid titanium dental implant in the mouth, once fitted with an equally lifelike crown, it creates an outstanding tooth replacement that provides the user with so many advantages…
…advantages like the ability to regain virtually all your chewing and biting power…
When you consider that modern dentures typically provide around 30% of your natural bite force, there is no need to limit your dietary intake to softer or easily chewable foods with dental implants. Instead, with dental implants, you can chew on crisp green apples or your favourite crunchy foods to your heart’s content.
Ultimately, you can live life the way you want, without restriction!
There are other advantages that titanium dental implants can bring to the party too…
Namely, when they are used to retain a denture, they ensure that the appliance won’t move in the mouth.
Conversely, conventional dentures (after a while) tend to slip and move in the mouth and can be a constant source of frustration or embarrassment for those looking to live normal lives.
With implant-supported dentures, you simply don’t have this problem. Patients are free to eat and speak in public without fear of feeling embarrassed. That’s the real power of dental implants.
So Why Titanium Dental Implants?
After all, there are other biocompatible metals or material out there such as Zirconia, right? While zirconia, is used for dental implants it is far less common and less clinically studied.
Titanium, on the other hand, is what we dentists call a super-metal. It’s incredibly lightweight (if you’ve ever held a dental implant you’ll know) so it’s comfortable to wear but at the same time, it’s also incredibly robust.
It’s also one of the only metals that aren’t known to cause a bodily reaction meaning that your body is extremely unlikely to reject it when dental implants are placed down into the jaw.
And finally…
Titanium also has a very low coefficient ratio, meaning that it won’t expand or contract when your body heats up or cools down. This is vital in that the titanium implant is unlikely to warp or bend over time.
There’s a good reason why titanium is also the metal of choice on supercars and space rockets and it isn’t by coincidence!
So there you have it, all you need to know about a titanium dental implant – what it is and what it does….
Hopefully, If you are considering dental implants as a form of tooth replacement this has given you the incentive to find out more. Why not contact the No Gaps Dental team to discuss your particular case and of course, your options?
With 15 convenient Sydney locations to choose from and flexible payments plans that allow you to spread the cost of dental implants treatment over several months, you’ve never had a better chance to get the tooth replacement treatment you need!
Book a smile consultation today. Call us on (02) 8806 0227 and get the healthy confidence-boosting smile you deserve.