Dental technology has made great strides in recent years and made correcting numerous dental procedures, including those to replace your missing teeth, easier, faster, and less invasive than ever. Dental implants, which replace a missing tooth and its root, can benefit your smile in more ways than one. Find out more about closing the gaps in your smile with dental implants with John C. Koechley, D.D.S., in Batavia, IL.

What are dental implants? 
Dental implants help you replace your missing teeth permanently and without having to add any specialized steps to your oral care routine. The implant lies within the jawbone under your missing tooth. As the bone heals, it grows around the implant to secure it in place and integrate it into your natural smile. The versatility and natural look of dental implants make filling the gaps in your smile easier than ever. Implants feel, function, and look just like your natural teeth and require only a few dental appointments to complete.

Can dental implants help my smile? 
A good candidate for dental implants has one or more missing teeth and wishes their smile was full once again. Missing teeth cause the bone underneath them to degrade, a process called bone atrophy, which causes bone loss in those areas. Good candidates should have minimal bone atrophy and enough healthy bone to support their implant. A strong at-home oral care routine is also necessary to keep the implant and natural teeth clean and healthy. This routine should consist of brushing thoroughly twice daily and flossing between each tooth at least once.

Types of Dental Implants available in Batavia, IL
Dental implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth in a row, or all of the teeth on an arch. They stand alone, meaning your dentist can place them without requiring the help of the surrounding natural teeth. Your dentist replaces a single tooth using one implant and one prosthetic placed on top. Several teeth in a row benefit from a dental bridge held in place by two implants on either side. Patients requiring a denture to replace all or most of the teeth on an arch can rely on four or more implants throughout the arch to hold the denture in place permanently.

For more information on dental implants, please contact John C. Koechley, D.D.S., in Batavia, IL. Call (630) 406-9441 to schedule your appointment today!