Many dental patients today are missing one or more teeth. Injury, infection, illness, and other conditions may all contribute to leading causes of tooth loss. Correcting this concern has traditionally been remedied with dentures and other forms of bridgework. Although these procedures remain valuable solutions for many patients, they are not ideal for everyone. Dental implants offer Pittsburgh, PA patients an important alternative to traditional bridgework. Dr. Michael Stypula and the rest of our care team want to assist you in finding the best solution for your dental health.
How Dental Implants Work
Dental implants utilize finely crafted dental crowns, much like traditional bridgework. These crowns are affixed to stable metal abutments, which connect to titanium posts, implanted into the patient’s jaw. The titanium posts are highly stable and act in a similar manner to a natural tooth root. The abutment of the crown connects securely to the post, creating a strong and permanent solution to tooth loss.
What Advantages Do Dental Implants Offer?
Dental implants offer several distinct advantages over traditional dentures. For instance:
- Implants can easily replace one or more teeth
- Implant crowns are precisely matched to resemble the appearance of surrounding teeth
- Dental implants can halt the deterioration of bone loss associated with denture use
- Patients enjoy the comfort and convenience of dental implants
- No expensive pastes or adhesives are required
Since dental implants are a permanent tooth loss solution, regular dental checkups are generally the only maintenance required. Denture use may require periodic visits to a dentist, specializing in bridgework creation, to ensure a comfortable fit as time progresses.
Although a denture may be created from durable acrylic or flexible plastic, none of these materials are qualified to be biocompatible. Titanium is a highly stable metal utilized in many medical devices. The titanium posts that support implant crowns fuse with the jaw bone, thereby preventing the deterioration of bone loss, associated with denture use.
Ready to Learn More?
If you would like to learn more about the many advantages of dental implants, we invite you to schedule an appointment with Dr. Stypula. Please call our clinic at (412) 348-8833.
