If you have missing or broken teeth it can affect the confidence that you have in your own smile. Not only that, but it can also make chewing problematic and leave you open to infection, gum disease, and tooth decay. 
There are several different options available to you when it comes to replacing your teeth including bridges, dentures, and dental implants. The most effective of these options are dental implants. 
But exactly what are dental implants and how can you benefit from them?
In this article, we’ll look at the dental implant procedure and examine how it works. 

What are Dental Implants? 
If you have a broken or damaged tooth, a dental implant can be used as a replacement for that tooth, thus restoring the function and the appearance of your teeth. 

Dental implants work by attaching a replacement to a small titanium screw that is fixed to the jawbone. 

This type of procedure provides a permanent solution to missing or broken teeth. Once a dental implant has been fitted, it will stay in place and will give you a solid bite. 

Dental implants have a more natural appearance than dentures. This is because they will be specifically made with your mouth in mind. 

Once you have dental implants in place, the risk of cavities forming in the neighboring teeth will dramatically decrease. Having dental implants will also reduce the chances of developing sensitivity in any of the teeth in the area. 

There are two types of dental implants that are commonly used. They are subperiosteal dental implants and endosteal dental implants. Let’s take a look at both of those. 

Endosteal Implants
Very often, when people talk about dental implants, they are referring to endosteal implants. These are the most common implants that are used. 
In this procedure, a titanium screw will be used. This will hold a crown in place. The titanium screw will go directly into your jawbone and will create a tight bond. 

Due to the way that the implant is fitted into place, these are the most effective type of dental implant. 

Subperiosteal Implants 
There may be occasions when a person is not a good match for having endosteal dental implants. When this is the case, it may be possible to get a different type of dental implant; subperiosteal implants. 

In the procedure for the subperiosteal implant, the crown is not fixed to the jawbone. Instead, the dental implant is fitted just above the jaw instead. 
Because of the fact that the crown is not directly attached to the jawbone, this is less effective than endosteal implants. 

Who Can Have Dental Implants?
Once you’ve decided that you would like to have dental implants, you will need to be assessed by your dentist to ensure that you are a suitable candidate for the procedure. Your dentist will also decide which type of dental implant you will be able to have.

There are several pre-existing health problems that you should inform your dentist about. These include uncontrollable metabolic diseases, osteoporosis, HIV, AIDS, and diabetes. 

Your dentist will also need to know if you smoke and how much you smoke. 

The main thing that will inform your dentist's decision to carry out the dental implant procedure will be the condition of your jawbone. To find this out, the dentist will take x-rays that will provide them information about the strength of your jawbone, its bone density, and its ability to sustain the pressure that the implant will put on it. 

If you are not a suitable candidate for endosteal implants, you may be suitable for subperiosteal implants.

How Do Dental Implants Work?
The entire process involved in getting dental implants may take several months to complete. The first step would be to have your broken tooth removed if required. 

If you don’t have the right density in your jawbone, or your jaw is too soft, then it may be possible to have this grafted at this stage. It is essential that your jawbone is able to take the pressure of the dental implant. 

If you do need to have your jawbone grafting, then it may take several months before your jaw gets to the right strength. Once it is ready, the dentist will make a small incision into your gums and will then drill a small hole in your jawbone. 

The jawbone will need some time to heal and regrow. This could take several months again. While you wait, you will be given a denture to wear on a temporary basis. 

As soon as your jaw is ready to take the implant, your dentist will be able to put the screw into position. 

Once the screw has been put in place, your dentist will then make a replacement tooth. To get this perfect, your dentist will take impressions and x-rays of your mouth. 

Once the jaw has recovered from having the screw fitted, then it will be time for the dentist to fit your replacement tooth. 

Find Out if You Are a Suitable Candidate for Dental Implants 
If you want to improve the confidence that you have in your own smile, improve the quality of your bite, and lower the chances of you developing infections, gum disease, or tooth decay, then you should look into affordable dental implants. 

Talk to your dentist today to find out about the cost of dental implants. 
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Get in touch with Upland Dental today to find out what dental implants can do for your smile. 

Straight teeth and an aligned bite can help you to reduce the chances of dental problems and improve your smile. Straighter teeth will mean that you get less of a build-up of plaque, which can lead to gum disease.

Another benefit of having straight teeth is that you will be able to chew your food easier without having to worry about getting bits of food stuck in them. Having straighter teeth will also mean that you can speak better.

The best way of addressing issues with the straightness of your teeth is through orthodontic treatment. But what are the different orthodontic options available? In this article, we’ll look at the best orthodontic options for adults.

Why You May Need to Explore Orthodontic Treatment Options
Adult options for orthodontics help treat problems with a bad bite. This is also called malocclusion. There are several different types of misaligned bite. These include crossbite, open bite, and overjet. Crooked teeth are often synonymous with bad bites, and braces will fix both at the same time.

Even if your teeth look as though they are straight, it may be possible that your jaw is not aligned correctly.

Where this is the case, a dentist may recommend orthodontic treatment to protect your teeth from additional wear to the tooth enamel, help with chewing and speech problems, and also more serious jaw problems.

Issues with your jaw could have been there since birth, or an injury may have caused them. Other causes include losing baby teeth too late or too early and sucking your thumb.

What Are the Different Orthodontic Options for Adults?
There are several different types of orthodontic treatment that are available, but the options that will be available to you depend on what exactly needs to get corrected. Here are some of the most common adult options for orthodontics.

• Traditional metal or ceramic braces
• Self-ligating metal or ceramic braces
• Invisible braces aka Clear aligners
• Partial orthodontic treatment

Let’s explore these options in more depth.

Traditional Metal Braces
Traditional metal braces are made up of metal brackets. This is the most common type of brace used. Over the years, these have become sleeker and more comfortable. Brackets are typically made from stainless steel.

Traditional braces have a wire running through the groove of the braces. This wire will pull your teeth into the correct position by delivering a constant and gentle force.

The wires are then held into position using tiny rubber bands known as ‘ligatures’ or ‘o-rings.’ Wires are typically made from metal alloys.  In some cases, patients may need to have metal bands to encircle the back teeth.

Traditional Ceramic Braces
In addition to metal braces, it is possible to get ceramic braces. These are tooth-colored, which makes them stand out less. These are fitted to your teeth, and wires are then threaded through the grooves in the brackets. Again, these are held on using ligatures.

With this type of brace, the brackets are made using ceramic or porcelain material. The wires will be generally made of metal alloys and will gently pull your teeth into position.

Self-Ligating Ceramic Braces
Self-ligating braces are also tooth-colored, which makes them stand out less. These are fixed to your teeth, and a wire is then threaded through the brackets. A built-in clip on each bracket will hold the wire in place, and the wire will gently pull at your teeth.

As with traditional ceramic braces, the brackets are made out of porcelain, and the wires are usually made out of metal alloys.

Self-Ligating Metal Braces
Self-ligating metal braces are made up of brackets fixed to your teeth and wires that are pulled through the slots in the brackets.

Many patients will also have metal bands that will encircle the back teeth. Each of the brackets will have a built-in clip that will hold the wire in place.

Typically, metal braces are stainless steel, and the wires are metal alloys and will gently pull at your teeth.

Invisible Braces aka Clear Aligners
Invisalign braces are set of clear, custom-made removable trays. The braces are pliable, made from a material designed to fit snuggly around your teeth. They are specifically made for your teeth.

You will be responsible for putting in your own aligners, and you will need to use a series of different aligners during the course of your orthodontic treatment.

Every new set of Invisalign aligners that you get from your dentist will apply a slight adjustment to your teeth. Each aligner is worn for between two and three weeks and will move teeth by a fraction of a millimeter each time.

The number of aligners that you will need to correct your misaligned teeth will depend on your orthodontic needs.

Because the aligners are removable, you will be able to take them out while eating, brushing, and flossing.

Partial Orthodontic Treatment
You may not need a full set of braces to deal with your orthodontic problems. Sometimes, just one or a few teeth will need to be adjusted to improve the look of or to prepare your teeth for dental work, such as having dental implants fitted.

In cases such as this, your dentist may recommend that you have partial orthodontic treatment. This is sometimes referred to as ‘limited treatment.’

This treatment will correct more of an isolated area of your mouth. As such, you will require less hardware and less treatment time.

Choosing the Right Orthodontic Options for You
If you have crooked or misaligned teeth, you will want to know which orthodontic options are available to you. 

At Upland Dental, we'll help to identify the right treatment option for you.
 
Contact us today to arrange a consultation. 

​Smiles are meant to be a simple, positive thing. You smile when something makes you happy. Then, the act of smiling makes you feel even better.

But what do you do when you don't like your smile? You hide it, self-consciously, depriving yourself of this happiness. If smiling makes you feel bad instead of good, you may never feel happy again.

Fortunately, dental implants can help. They can fix your smile and restore your confidence. They benefit your physical health in many ways, also. 
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In this guide, we go into detail about many such benefits of dental implants. Read on to learn more about what dental implants can do for you.

1. Restore Your Smile

If you don't like the look of your smile, you don't have to be stuck with it. Dental implants restore the look of your smile by replacing missing or damaged teeth. Whether you lost certain adult teeth or you were simply born without them, implants will fill the gaps in your smile.

2. Restore Your Confidence

Furthermore, the benefits of dental implants go beyond cosmetic improvement. They improve your emotional state as well.

Did you know that a smile isn't just a reaction to something that makes you happy? On the contrary, it works the other way around, too. That is, science has proven that cracking a smile triggers positive feelings in your brain and body.

If you're feeling down, smiling can cheer you up. And it disintegrates stress. The more you smile, the better you feel.

For some people, that's the problem. When you have missing or chipped teeth, you may feel self-conscious about your smile. The very thing that's supposed to cheer you up stresses you out even more. Then, you're reluctant to smile, which keeps you stressed.

Dental implants give you a smile you're comfortable with so you can start smiling and feeling good again.

3. They Look Authentic

That last point is moot if the implants look awkward or fake. Fortunately, they don't. They're made to match the other teeth in your smile exactly. Specifically, the material they're made of looks no different than a real tooth. And they're color-matched so they won't look out-of-place next to your other, natural teeth.

Plus, they're attached directly to your jaw like all your other teeth. So, there's nothing holding them in place that can be seen from the outside. The implant post and the abutment that the synthetic tooth is attached to are concealed by your gums.

4. They Restore Your Speech

When you lose or chip a tooth, it changes the way you talk, too. Dental implants restore your teeth to the way they were before. Therefore, they make your speech sound the way it did before also.

5. They Work as Well as Natural Teeth

Again, implants aren't just a cosmetic solution. They're designed to replace both the appearance and the function of real teeth.

Anything your natural teeth can do, implants do just as well. They're hard enough that they won't crack any easier than natural teeth would. And they're permanently fused to your jawbone as your real teeth are.

6. Dental Implants Are Permanent

As we just mentioned, dental implants are a permanent addition to your jawbone. However, this fusion process does take some time. The implant site must heal completely and the implant post must finish fusing with your jawbone for the installation to become permanent.

If you don't take proper care during this period, it's possible that the implant will fail. But, once the fusion is successful, you'll never need to repair or replace them under normal circumstances.

That's not true for most tooth repair/replacement options. Thus, dental implants are very cost-effective by comparison.

7. They're Low Maintenance

It's true that you must carefully follow the instructions of your dentist for many months after the procedure. During the healing/fusion period, the implants can come loose much more easily. 
But, once they're fully healed and secure, you, simply brush and floss them as you do with all your other teeth. And, unlike your natural teeth, your implants will never get cavities.
Alternative procedures require a lot more maintenance than this—special, added steps to your daily oral care routine. 

8. They Realign Your Bite

Another benefit of dental implants is that they prevent numerous oral health/jaw problems. For example, missing or damaged teeth change the way your teeth fit together. This can misalign your jaw and cause teeth grinding, jaw pain, TMJ, and other problems.

Also, missing/damaged teeth can make it difficult to chew. And some dental solutions don't fix this problem; they can only handle gentle chewing.

Dental implants solve/prevent all of these problems.

9. Dental Implants Prevent Bone Loss

Lastly, after a long time, the space left by your missing teeth will cause bone loss. You see, when you use your teeth, it stimulates the growth of the bone underneath the teeth.

When a tooth is missing, there's nothing to stimulate bone growth. Thus, the lack of stimulation causes the bone to slowly erode away. This accelerates the aging of your facial appearance. Specifically, your chin sinks in and your face appears to shrivel up.

But, when dental implants are installed, you use them in place of the missing teeth. Thus, your jawbone gets the stimulation it needs to minimize bone loss.

Experience These Benefits of Dental Implants For Yourself

Now that you've read about the benefits of dental implants, it's time to take the next step.

Discover firsthand what dental implants can do for you. Contact Upland Dental now to set up your consultation.