Over 120 million American adults have at least one missing tooth. Losing a tooth as an adult can be embarrassing, but it often creates more problems than just a gap in your smile.
Adults lose teeth for a number of reasons, from sports injuries to natural aging and decay. When a tooth falls out, your remaining teeth shift to compensate for the gap. Your jawbone begins deteriorating, and you might be at risk for additional tooth loss later on.
Dental implants are a permanent solution for the gaps in your smile, whether you’re missing one tooth or several. They fit securely in your jawbone, and they look and function like natural teeth.
Implants may be a popular choice to replace missing teeth, but getting a dental implant requires dental surgery, and surgery requires a recovery period.
At Arcadia Perio, our periodontal surgeons J. Paul Fuentes, DDS, DABP, and Andrew Peterson, DMD, MS, offer the best in technology to expedite implant recovery: BioHorizons® tapered PTG implants.
How dental implants work
Your teeth have roots that attach to your jaw. The root keeps each tooth in place when you chew, and it stimulates your jawbone to grow and stay strong.
Dental implants work in the same way. They have three main parts: the rod, abutment, and crown. The rod acts like the implant’s root. It’s surgically inserted into your jawbone, and your jaw grows around it to hold it in place.
Healing from implant placement can take several months, as your bone grows around the implant rod. Once your mouth has healed, you return to our office to complete the procedure.
The abutment is a small connector piece that goes on top, and the crown is an artificial tooth that looks like a natural tooth. Dental implants can replace a single missing tooth, or they can secure a bridge (several artificial teeth in a row) or even dentures (a whole set of artificial teeth).
Many people with missing teeth are good candidates for dental implants. But because they’re implanted into bone, you need to have enough bone mass to support the implants. If you have low bone density, you might need a bone graft, or you might be a candidate for the BioHorizons tapered PTG implants.
The technology behind BioHorizons tapered PTG implants
At your consultation, we evaluate your mouth and your jaw structure to determine the best implant technology for you. We prefer the BioHorizons tapered PTG implant because it’s engineered to deliver the best possible results in dental implant placement.
The PTG implant has progressive threads that engage your jawbone during placement, making it ideal for a range of bone densities. It has a small collar, which promotes and preserves natural bone during your implant procedure.
The implant also has microchannels that encourage natural connective tissue growth. Its small, tapered shape makes it easier for us to place it in complicated or cramped sites.
Enhancing recovery with the latest technology
There’s a lot of science behind the way the PTG implant works, but what does it mean for you? The implant is precisely engineered to give you a strong, stable prosthetic tooth with minimal disruption to your jaw and mouth.
The PTG implant maintains the bone in your jaw, and it provides an alternative to bone grafting in your implant procedure. If you have bone loss, it could mean a simpler procedure with a shorter recovery period.
Dental implants are a permanent, functional treatment for missing teeth. Find out more about the benefits of BioHorizons tapered PTG implants with a consultation here at Arcadia Perio in Arcadia, California. Contact us online or by phone.