Monday, October 26, 2009

Basic Facts About Dental Implants

What are dental implants?
Houston dental implants are permanent tooth replacements.

How do they differ from other tooth replacements?
Dental implants differ from other tooth replacements because they are permanently affixed to the jaw bone itself. Not only does the base of the implant actually attach to the jaw, it eventually becomes a part of it.

What are they made of?
Dental implants are made of three components. The actual implant is basically a titanium-based alloy made from a material called Tivolloy. This is a bio-friendly metal that is easily accepted by the jaw and the gums.

The bottom of the implant is shaped like a screw. This allows it to be twisted into the bone and firmly set within it. This is important, because in order to remain in the mouth, the device must become a part of the bone so it does not originally fall out.

The second part of the dental implant is called an abutment. It is a small metal post the helps anchor and secure the base of the tooth replacement.

The third part is the crown. It is made from porcelain, and it works in the same way that other cosmetic dental crowns work. It both looks and functions like a natural tooth. This is because porcelain is the same color as tooth enamel. It is also because porcelain is extremely hard, and it is capable of chewing any number of foods.

What makes cosmetic dental implants superior to dentures and dental bridges?
There are a number of problems associated with both dentures and dental bridges.

To begin with dentures, the cheaper models often make embarrassing clicking noises when a person chews. They also have to be taken out and cleaned which leaves a person toothless for the time being and often creates embarrassing situations when dentures are found in a glass.

Bridgework can create problems as well. Bridges have to be affixed to anchor points, which in the case of permanent bridgework, means bracketing tooth replacement to surrounding natural teeth. Over time, the stress of chewing can put enough strain on these brackets that they wear down the enamel of natural teeth.

Dental implants overcome both sets of problems. Because they are permanently attached to the jaw, they do not have to be taken out for cleaning. In fact, they can be brushed and flossed just like natural teeth.

Dental implants also go into the jawbone itself and do not affect surrounding, natural teeth in a negative way. In fact, they actually help natural teeth grow straighter because they close the gaps caused by missing teeth.

Are there other benefits besides these?
The greatest benefit they bring, aside from a completely natural-looking smile, is the reversal of bone loss. When teeth are lost, the bones that normally grow around the roots begin to recede. Implanting a tooth replacement directly into the bone reverses this process by giving it something to grow around.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Medical Benefits of Houston Dental Implants

The Medical Benefits of Houston Dental Implants
Many medical problems result from missing teeth. Not only does a person have an incomplete smile and face daily challenges eating a normal diet comfortably, but he or she must also contend with even more serious challenges occurring at the unseen level. Missing teeth impact more than the way a person looks and eats. Because teeth are vital to the health of other teeth, jawbones, and facial muscles, losing even one tooth can impact the entire mouth in very serious ways that can lead to irreversible damage.

However, there is always hope. Here at the Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston, dental implants can be placed in the mouth that will restore the vitality and health of surrounding natural teeth, bones, and facial tissues.

At the Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston, dental implants can prevent alignment problems that often result from missing teeth.
The position of one tooth is always established by the positions of the surrounding teeth. One missing tooth that creates a gap in the bite will cause the two adjacent teeth to begin growing into this gap. Alignment problems will result that inevitably call for orthodontic treatment.

However, we specialize in custom-made tooth replacements here at the Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston. Dental implants are so precisely manufactured as to perfectly match the original teeth that the teeth around them treat them as natural and grow normally in relationship to the new tooth replacements.

Houston dental implants keep lips and cheeks from wrinkling and sagging.

Muscles need structure to remain firm. A full set of upper and lower teeth provide this structure to the muscles of the face and the lips. When teeth fall out or get knocked out, the muscles in surrounding tissue lose this support. Over time, the muscles will become flaccid and the skin will start to sag. Then the skin itself will begin to wrinkle. In severe cases, the skin will actually droop and the person will begin to look older than they really are.

Thanks to the Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston, dental implants can keep muscles firm and strong by restoring the internal structure of the mouth. These tooth replacements are so custom-made they match the original teeth that were

With the expertise of the Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston, dental implants can stop the bone loss that always results after teeth are lost.
When a tooth is lost, the bone around the tooth root has nothing to grow around. It begins to recede.
Bone loss of this type is very serious. It can affect the entire shape of a person’s jaw.

However, the titanium base of every implant works just like a tooth root and gives the bone something to grow around.

If you are missing even so much as one tooth, consider giving yourself the best possible treatment by contacting our office for an evaluation. We are one of the few Cosmetic Dentistry Offices in Houston that handles both the surgical aspect of implantation and the crowning phase of the procedure. With our team, you can take care of all of your needs with one phone call to one location.

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