Facial Trauma and Dental Implants

Every year, thousands of Americans sustain facial trauma resulting from motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults and sporting accidents.  Trauma to the face is a  leading cause of tooth loss in younger people.  In the past, the options for replacing missing teeth were limited to bridges or dentures.  These options do not provide a permanent solution to missing teeth, and pose a variety of limitations, especially for younger patients.

Today, dental implants offer a better solution for patients who lose teeth early in life due to facial trauma.   Dental Implants are prosthetic tooth roots that provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth.  The process involves inserting a prosthetic anchor into a patient’s jawbone.  After a certain amount of time (usually three months), bone grows around the anchor, and the jawbone heals.  This process is called Osseointegration.  When Osseointegration occurs, the implant is tightly held in place to the bone.  A crown is then placed on top of the dental implant to replace the missing tooth.

Dental Implants look and feel so much like natural teeth, many patients forget that they even have them.  This advanced tooth replacement system has enabled many patients who have lost teeth due to facial trauma to once again eat, smile and laugh with confidence.

If you have lost a tooth or teeth early in life due to facial trauma, don’t spend the rest of your life dealing with dentures or other temporary tooth replacement options.  Contact an Oral Surgeon today to get more information about Dental Implants and how they can benefit you.