If you start to lose your natural teeth, over time, your jawbone will resorb and break down. You should try your best to replace your missing teeth as soon as possible. Dental implants have proven to be one of the best ways to replace missing teeth permanently. This article discusses how dental implants improve jawbone health.

How Dental Implants Work

A dental implant is a metallic prosthesis surgically screwed into your jawbone and covered by a ceramic dental crown to replace a missing tooth. The metallic piece is made from titanium, which is biocompatible, allowing your jawbone to grow around it to form a permanent bond. Therefore, a dental implant acts as the tooth root, holding the crown firmly in place so you can continue enjoying your favorite meals and live your everyday life.

The dental crown is specially designed to resemble your natural teeth. For your dental implants to function effectively, they have to fuse completely with your jawbone, and your gum should heal properly around the implants to give them support and a natural appearance.

How Dental Implants Improve Jawbone Health

As stated before, a dental implant comprises a biocompatible post and ceramic crown. The biocompatible piece integrates with your jawbone to function as a natural tooth root. This means your jawbone will continue receiving stimulation from your natural tooth. Otherwise, it will break down.

When your jawbone resorbs and breaks down, the neighboring teeth will become loose and eventually fall out. It will also alter your facial structure, making you appear older than you are. A dental implant, however, will strengthen your jawbone, helping it to retain its density. If you stay without replacing the missing tooth for a long time, your jawbone will lose its thickness and density, making it difficult to support an implant when you finally decide to replace it.

In that case, your oral surgeon will have to do bone grafting before inserting the implants, which prolongs the process of getting the implant and pushes the cost higher. Additionally, leaving your gum open might result in bacterial infections spreading down the jawbone. Therefore, the sooner you replace your missing teeth with dental implants, the healthier your jawbone will be.