What is Osseointegration?

Compared to traditional restorations, dental implants offer a lifelong solution for replacing any number of missing teeth. Valued as a highly versatile restorative option, much of the long-term success associated with dental implants derives from how this treatment interacts with other parts of patients’ smiles.

The Problem with Traditional Restorations
Natural teeth roots serve as stimulation for the jaw bone, ensuring stable dental function. When a tooth is lost, the bone also loses its necessary point of stimulation. While conventional restoration options such as bridges, partials, and dentures may be effective for temporarily treating tooth loss, these prosthetics sit above the gum line and do not interact with the jaw bone. Over time, the lack of jaw bone stimulation caused by general tooth loss and compounded by the restoration can cause bone deterioration. Known as resorption, this subsequent bone loss weakens the overall strength of the dentition and can trigger additional tooth loss.

Creating an Implant Support System
During implant placement, a titanium screw is placed directly into the jaw bone, mimicking the stimulation provided by the natural tooth. As a result, the bone begins to form around the implant, effectively incorporating the substitute root. Known as the process of osseointegration, this naturally-occurring process is directly tied to the success of the implant as a whole for several reasons:

• Prevents Resorption: Dental implants are designed to interact with the bone just like natural teeth do. By using an implant, rather than a bridge to replace a missing tooth, the bone can be comprehensively stimulated, thus preventing resorption and additional tooth loss.
• Stabilizes Future Restorations: Whether you’re receiving a single crown or using several implants to support a full-arch restoration, successful osseointegration prevents the need for total implant replacement in the future. Additionally, osseointegration helps to preserve dental function, allowing patients to enjoy lifelike teeth replacement. 
• Preserve Facial Structure: Bone resorption can also trigger changes in facial structure, leading to the premature aging and facial collapse. By stimulating osseointegration with dental implants, patients are able to preserve facial aesthetics. 

At Lorton-Springfield Dental Implants & Oral Surgery, our team is dedicated to helping patients achieve and maintain their smiles through dental implants and implant-supported dentures. For more information about this service, contact our Northern Virginia oral surgeon today.

The Health Benefits of Dental Implants

When choosing dental restorations there are a number of factors to consider, including what is involved in the treatment, the long-term results, and cost. Most importantly, individuals must consider what the long-term health implications are of their desired treatment. In addition to the aesthetic benefits offered by dental implants, this restorative dental treatment also offers a number of health advantages when compared to traditional restorations.

Why are there so many health benefits associated with dental implants?

Part of the reason why dental implants remain successful and functional well into the future is due to the components that make up dental implants as well as how they are integrated into the dentition. The basic structure of a dental implant consists of an implant post, a connective abutment, and the final restoration, which can range from a single crown to total arch replacement with an implant-supported denture.

As the implant post is designed to mimic the natural tooth root, this biocompatible component stimulates the jaw bone exactly as the original tooth root does. During the recovery period following implant placement, the bone and implant fuse together, effectively ensuring that the implant becomes an integrated part of the jaw. Known as osseointegration, this naturally occurring process is critical to the long-term success of the restorative treatment.

Successful osseointegration also plays an important role in creating the long-term advantages associated with dental implants. For starters, the stimulation provided by the integration of the implant into the bone helps to encourage healthy bone regeneration. In the long run, this helps preserve the facial structure in addition to preventing additional tooth loss.

Dental implant integration also helps to preserve the alignment of the dentition. Often, the teeth next to an empty gap tend to shift into the space left by missing or extracted teeth. This can have a domino effect of the rest of the smile, compromising overall functionality. Since dental implants are firmly anchored into the dentition, this restorative treatment also helps prevent this shift, protecting the alignment of the smile and jaw.

Dental Implants in Northern Virginia

If you are weighing your restorative treatment options, contact Dr. Snehal Patel of Lorton-Springfield Dental Implants and Oral Surgery. Our specialty dental practice is proud to offer a number of dental implant and implant-supported treatment options designed to improve the look, function, and health of your smile.