If you need to get teeth replaced, you’ve come to the right place at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach. Our family practice offers several options for dental restorations, allowing us to treat patients in a wide variety of circumstances. But for long-lasting stability, one of the best treatments is a dental implant. These devices not only replace teeth, they also help restore the jaw bone, and can prevent a lot of other oral health problems.
An implant is like an artificial tooth root. It inserts in the jaw bone and supports an artificial crown. This differs from traditional dentures, which only replace the visible parts of teeth, in that the implant is immobile and spurs the growth of new bone tissue. When a tooth is lost, the jaw bone that used to surround its root recedes, causing the patient’s face to shorten. This can lead to temporomandibular joint pain and cause a person to grind their remaining teeth, further destabilizing them. But when an implant is inserted, new bone grows to surround it, in a process called osseointegration that takes a few months. When osseointegration is complete, a ceramic crown can be cemented onto the implant head and cared for like a normal tooth.
A patient will need to have some remaining jaw bone tissue to be a good candidate for an implant, and we’ll monitor the osseointegration process to ensure it’s working. But even if they lack bone tissue, it may be possible for a patient to get additive treatment. Implanted artificial teeth are still vulnerable to decay, and if the area around an implant becomes inflamed, the implant may have to be replaced. But most people can prevent this through regular brushing and flossing, and implants often last for over ten years.
Drs. Julie and Joseph Boulos operate All Coast Dental at 2180 Garnet Ave, Suite 1-K, Pacific Beach, California, 92109. To schedule an appointment, call 858-270-4904 or visit All Coast Dental and fill out a contact sheet.
