If you've been considering getting tooth implants to replace missing teeth, chances are you've focused on the functional and cosmetic benefits. However, dental implants go beyond making it easier for you to chew, talk, and to feel less self-conscious while smiling. Dental implants can actually help to keep your body strong in a specific way. Keep reading to learn more about this process and how it can help you.
How Normal Teeth Work
Healthy, normal teeth serve a purpose that goes beyond eating. Healthy teeth have a strong root beneath them that goes all the way through your gums and into the jaw itself. As you use your teeth to chew and bite, the pressure your teeth induce causes a small amount of stress to the jaw, which weakens the jaw slightly. This might sound like a bad thing, but it's actually one of the best things your jaw experiences to keep it strong.
When this process happens, your body recognizes that the jaw is being damaged and it speeds up the production of bone to repair it. This not only repairs the damage but makes the jaw stronger so it can withstand future damage. Since you bite and chew every day, this process is constantly ongoing and it plays a big role in keeping your jaw strong.
How Implants Mimic The Pressure Process
Dental implants are surprisingly similar to real teeth in their structure and functionality. While the tooth on top strongly resembles real teeth, it's what's going on beneath the surface that helps to keep your jaw strong.
Dental implants sit on top of a titanium peg that goes through your gums and into a hole in your jaw. This peg is responsible for strengthening your jaw in the same way that a tooth root does. When you bite down on the implant, it transfers that pressure through the peg and into the bone, creating the same damage and repair cycle that a real tooth would.
Bone loss in the jaw after losing a tooth can begin almost immediately, so it's crucial to restart this repair cycle as soon as possible.
What To Expect
If you go to the dentist to get dental implants, there are a few steps that will be taken before you get them. Your dentist will examine your mouth, take x-rays, and determine if you're a good candidate for implants based on that information.
If you're selected for implants, your dentist will schedule an appointment with you to install the titanium pegs in your jaw. Your jaw will need some time to heal and for the bone to close around the peg before the tooth is placed on top of it. Once this process is completed, you'll be called back in and the replacement tooth will be put on top of the peg. From there, the process is complete and you can return to eating normally like you never lost a tooth at all.
Dental implants can do a lot for your smile and ability to eat, but they can also help to strengthen the underlying structure of your jaw. If you're worried about your jaw getting weak, talk to a dentist about getting dental implants.