Dental Implants

Living day to day with missing teeth is a challenge. You have to pass up some of your favorite foods because it hurts too much to chew them, and speaking clearly and forming certain words may be difficult. Add to it the obvious gap in your smile, and your self-confidence can be shattered.

You don’t have to live with all of these barriers in your life. Replacing missing teeth with dental implants in Wilmington, DE restores your comfort, improves your ability to speak and chew, and make you want to show off your smile.

How Are Dental Implants Different?

A dental implant is the only solution for missing teeth that replaces an entire tooth. The lost tooth root is replaced with a small titanium implant post anchored in your jaw bone. After the implant heals and fuses with the bone around it, our dentist tops it off with a dental crown to replace the tooth from root to crown.

What Does Getting a Dental Implant Involve?

First, Dr. Matthews and Dr. Bayley will meet with you and evaluate to see if you’re a good candidate for one or more dental implants. With state-of-the-art 3-D digital imaging, they'll check to see if you have sufficient bone density in the area we want to place a dental implant.

The next step is to place the dental implant in your jaw during an appointment at our Wilmington, DE dental office. Because Dr. Matthews and Dr. Bayley use 3-D cone beam imaging, they know precisely where to place the implant post for the best outcome.

Leaving the Implant to Heal

Your dental implant needs plenty of time to heal and form a strong bond with the bone and tissue around it. This process is called osseointegration, and when it’s complete, the implant is secure enough to hold a replacement tooth firmly in place, just as a natural tooth root would.

Restoring Function and Appearance

The final step is to add a dental crown or bridge to restore chewing function and appearance of the implant. If we’re replacing a single tooth, Dr. Matthews and Dr. Bayley would recommend a dental crown; for multiple teeth, a dental bridge or full or partial dentures would be used.

How Do Dental Implants Improve Oral Health

We highly recommend replacing missing teeth as soon as possible. Full or partial removable dentures are still an excellent way to restore the appearance and some function after tooth loss, but they sit on top of your gums, so they’re not very stable and tend to shift and move. They also don’t do anything to combat bone loss in the jaw that occurs after you lose a tooth. 

A tooth root stimulates the regeneration of bone to keep your jaw strong and healthy. Since they sit on top of your gums, dentures don’t do anything to maintain this process. The result is jaw bone deterioration that gives your face a sunken appearance. It also puts you at risk for loose teeth, and even further tooth loss.

A dental implant takes the place of the missing tooth root by stimulating bone regeneration. 

Want to Learn More about Dental Implants?

These days, there’s no reason to live with missing teeth. Please call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Matthews and Dr. Bayely to learn how dental implants in Wilmington, DE can improve your life.