Dental implants restore the function and appearance of missing teeth in Alpharetta, GA

Tooth loss can affect many areas of your life—from being able to speak and smile with confidence to properly chewing and digesting your food. Dental implants are a modern method for replacing missing teeth, and can restore both the function and appearance of your natural teeth while promoting better oral health. At Alpharetta Smile Care, we are proud to offer patients in the Alpharetta, Milton, Canton, Cumming, Roswell, and neighboring GA areas this highly effective tooth replacement option.

What are dental implants and what are their benefits?

Dental implants are small screw-like pieces of titanium that are surgically placed into the jawbone. As they heal, they undergo a fusion process with the jawbone called osseointegration to form one solid, stable unit. This allows the implant to mimic a natural tooth root, keeping your new tooth (typically a dental crown) firmly in place without worry of slipping or falling out.

Dr. Worful believes dental implants are the best tooth replacement option because of their many benefits from a functional, cosmetic, and oral health perspective:

• Functionality: Because the implant closely resembles a natural tooth in terms of its structure and fusion with the jawbone, it is incredibly stable so there are no concerns about your tooth slipping and falling out or food getting stuck beneath it. In fact, many patients forget they even have an implant in place!
• Longevity: With good home care and routine visits to the dentist, a dental implant can last a lifetime.
• Jawbone health: With other tooth replacement options such as dentures and bridges, the jawbone is not stimulated sufficiently to maintain a healthy bone volume and density, and eventually deteriorates over time. However, because implants are embedded in the jaw, they prevent this degradation from occurring, which not only promotes better bone health but also prevents your cheeks from having a sunken-in appearance, which can make you look older than you are.

• Neighboring teeth are unaffected: Unlike bridges, which require healthy tooth structure on the adjacent teeth to be modified so that crowns can be placed to anchor the bridge in place, dental implants are a true one-tooth solution that do not affect the health of the neighboring teeth.
• Versatility: There are several different ways that implants can be used. From single tooth implants to full dental implants, which use as few as four implants that are strategically placed to anchor a full arch of teeth in place, patients with all types of tooth loss can benefit from implants.

Simply put, no other tooth replacement looks, feels, and functions like a dental implant!

Am I a good candidate?

In general, most people who need to replace a missing tooth—or even a full arch of teeth!—can be a great candidates for implants. For the implant to be successful, it is important to have sufficient jawbone volume and density or the implants may not be able to fully fuse with the bone. Because of this, some patients may need prior treatments such as bone grafting before implant surgery can be performed.

At Alpharetta Smile Care, Dr. Doug Worful works with patients to determine the best tooth replacement choice for their smiles. With more options than ever before for replacing missing teeth, we believe that providing patients with the information they need to make an educated decision that is best for their needs is a key ingredient for future success. If dental implants are not the right choice for you due to your oral health needs, treatment preferences, or budget, Dr. Worful will give you alternative choices that may be a better fit.