Losing a tooth for any reason dramatically impacts your self-confidence and your ability to enjoy life. Simple things like sharing a smile with a friend can make you feel self-conscious, and you can’t enjoy healthy foods like crunchy fruits and vegetables because it hurts to eat.

Replacing missing teeth is crucial, and you have options. Dental implants at our Mountain View, CA are a state-of-the-art solution to replace missing teeth and restore your quality of life.

The Dental Implants Difference

There are several tooth replacement options, including bridges, dentures, and dental implants. Our patients prefer dental implants because they look, feel, and function the most like a natural tooth.

Bridges and dentures sit on top of your gums, but a dental implant also replaces the missing tooth root. So dental implants solve the aesthetic problem of a gap in your smile, but they are also a healthy, long-term solution to tooth loss.

The Anatomy of a Dental Implant

A dental implant is essentially a replacement tooth root, and it consists of three pieces:

• Implant post – The implant post looks like a tiny screw and is made of biocompatible titanium and is placed surgically in your jaw. As the implant heals over several months, it integrates with surrounding bone and tissue and replaces the missing tooth root.
• Implant abutment – The abutment is a small piece that we attach to the implant after it has healed. It connects the implant in your jaw to the dental restoration—crown, bridge, or denture—that we attach to it.
• Implant crown – If we are replacing a single tooth, we will restore it with a dental crown. If you have multiple missing teeth, our Mountain View dentists would recommend a bridge or partial denture to restore function and appearance.

As you can see, a dental implant is a full tooth replacement, from root to crown. There are many different implant systems available, but at Gorrell Smiles, we use the Straumann system. It has a long record of success and delivers reliable results. When the process is finished, you will have a beautiful new tooth or teeth that blend seamlessly with your smile.

A Healthy Solution to Replace Missing Teeth

Our dentists prefer dental implants because they look, function, and feel most like a natural tooth. There are several reasons why replacing missing teeth as soon as possible is essential.

Bone Loss

A healthy tooth root stimulates the natural regeneration of bone in your jaw. When you lose a tooth, the bone gradually starts to deteriorate and resorb or shrink back into the body. But a dental implant is a replacement root, so it stimulates bone regeneration to keep your jaw and gums healthy.

Premature Dental Wear

Each of your teeth plays a role in helping you eat, chew, and speak comfortably. Even one missing tooth places additional stress on remaining teeth that now have to function in ways they were never meant to. Over time, this excess force can lead to chipped, broken, or worn teeth.

Crooked Teeth

Missing teeth can also lead to alignment issues. When you lose a tooth, there’s nothing to prevent neighboring teeth from drifting into the open space. Over time, this can lead to crooked teeth, which in turn leads to cavities and gum disease because they’re harder to clean properly.

Call Us to Schedule an Appointment

Dr. Nelisha Jiwani, is experienced in dental implant placement and can handle the entire process here at our Mountain View, CA dental office.

If you’d like to schedule an appointment to learn more about dental implants, please call Gorrell Smiles at (650) 399-9657.