The American College of Prosthodontists estimates that nearly 180 million Americans are missing at least one tooth. Roughly 40 million Americans have no teeth. That’s a lot of missing teeth, but people don’t have to live without a full set of teeth. Today’s teeth replacement options from Dr. James LoCascio at Highland Advanced Dental Care in Highland, MI are better than ever than ever.

The Dental Implant Revolution

Dental implants have revolutionized the process of replacing missing teeth. Prior to implants, there were basically two options – dental bridges and dentures. While both of those restorations are still in widespread use today, implants offer greater security, comfort, and effectiveness.

Dental implant are basically small titanium screws that are inserted into the bone where a tooth is missing. The bone fuses to and strongly supports the screw making is a replacement tooth root. Dental implants are very durable and with care can last for the rest of your life.

An abutment is attached to implant and connects the dental restoration – a crown to replace a missing tooth, a bridge to replace several teeth, or a full denture to replace all missing top or bottom teeth. With the implant solidly fused to bone, the abutment firmly secured to the implant, and the restoration secured to the abutment, dental implant restorations look, feel and function just like your natural teeth!

Good news if you’re considering a bridge to replace several teeth. With implants, the neighboring teeth usually won’t need to be ground down to accommodate the bridge.

If you wear dentures, here’s another benefit: in contrast to traditional dentures that only provide 25 percent of your original chewing power, implant-supported dentures return up to 95 percent! And implant-supported dentures absolutely won’t slip, slide, or pop out unexpectedly. You can confidently eat all the foods you love and laugh and smile with no worries.

Dr, James LoCascio at Highland Advanced Dental Care in Highland Township, MI is a member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and offers the proven All-on-4 Dental Implants technique to replace traditional dentures..

One other benefit to implants is preserving the bone in your jaws. The pressure of chewing is transmitted through the tooth root to the bone, stimulating the bone and keeping it strong and healthy. When a tooth is lost, that stimulation is missing and the bone begins to slowly deteriorate. Since the implant functions as a replacement tooth root, your underlying bone is once again stimulated when you chew.

Are Dental Implants The Right Choice For You?

The large majority of people can receive dental implants, but there are some crucial factors. The first and probably most important is the underlying strength and thickness of the bone that will support the implant. There are other considerations, such as your general oral health and your ability to heal, but Dr. LoCascio will work with you address any issues.

Your journey to advanced option in teeth replacement begins with scheduling a consultation. Call our Highland Township, MI office at 248-329-3552 today.