When you were a child, did you ever have a dentist visit your class to talk about your teeth? The dentist may have used a tooth-shaped puppet or an animated tooth video. In your dentist office today, do you notice images of teeth in print or models of a full tooth? Educational lessons on tooth health often use symbols showing the full tooth from roots to crown. When you think of your teeth, chances are you imagine only the top of your pearly whites. Let’s dig down deeper to the importance of tooth roots and how, when you lose a tooth, a dental implant works to save your smile.
The Root of the Issue
Tooth roots are essential to your oral health, appearance, and function. After all, there’s living tissue in there! It’s called pulp. Tooth pulp surrounds nerves and blood vessels. The roots are implanted down into your gums, below the gum line. They are connected to the gum and jawbone by tissue. Blood flows through the roots and distributes healthy nutrients that keep the tooth, gum tissue, and bones strong. The pictures of dental implants may look a bit different than those of healthy teeth, but you can be assured that the dental implants procedure serve the same purpose.
Tooth Loss in Adults
What happens when the blood flow to the tooth root is interrupted? When roots are unhealthy and a tooth must be removed, the ‘food’ that keeps the jaw strong has been eliminated. It breaks down, and you lose the structure and function that your jaw provides. Only one dental solution can replace a root and keep your mouth healthy and strong: dental implants. Here’s how:
- A dentist or specialist will evaluate if you need some work before the implant procedure, for example, to build up the bone tissue. This work will be completed.
- The anchor or base of the dental implant is inserted into the jawbone.
- The bone tissue is stimulated by the implant process, bonds with the anchor, and strengthens as it heals.
- After healing, the dental implant specialist or dentist places a connector to the top of the base, followed by a crown that looks like your real tooth.
- The dental implant forms a structure that looks, acts, and feels like a natural tooth while keeping the bone and tissue healthy and strong, supporting your natural features and your ability to chew and to speak.