Creating a beautiful smile is often the main reason that people visit the dentist, but one particular procedure is incredibly useful for improving the smile and creating a functional replacement for missing or damaged teeth. This procedure is known as Dental Implants in Round Lake Beach and it involves several steps. First, the dentist must determine if the jaw is strong enough to support an implant. In some instances, they may recommend a grafting procedure to strengthen the jawbone. The next step involves a bit of surgery. The surgical procedure places a titanium stud, which is the actual implant, into the jawbone. Titanium is an inert material with little or no side effects when placed in the body. After this, the wound will be allowed to heal so the bone adheres to the stud and provides proper support.
The next steps in Dental Implants in Round Lake Beach will depend on the function of the implant. Implants can serve as an anchor for bridges or dentures, but they can also be used to hold a crown. The latter is common when only a single tooth is missing or damaged. In these cases, the dentist will place a custom crown over the implant. This is an excellent way to improve a smile whenever a visible tooth has been broken or lost. However, many implants get placed because the patient has multiple missing teeth. Replacing multiple teeth used to be done with a bridge that was anchored to neighboring teeth. The problem with this process is that the dental appliance is loosely fitted and the anchoring teeth needed to be filed so the bridge-work fits into place. Dental implants provide a more reliable alternative because the anchor is secure and any connections are created as a part of the appliance. This keeps the bridge from moving, which makes them more reliable and more comfortable. Another dental appliance that can make use of implants is the denture. Dentures are full plates that fit on the upper or lower jaw. Typical dentures are loosely fit or held in place with a denture adhesive. Either option is not the best method for anchoring because adhesives are difficult to deal with and loosely fitting dentures can affect the gum tissue. Using an implant ensures the denture does not move around and improves its function. Visit the Reilly & Siegel Family Dental website to get more details about the benefits of Dental Implants in Round Lake Beach.