Unlike baby teeth, once we lose our permanent ones, there isn’t going to be another that will replace it. When extraction is the only choice you have for a tooth that you are having problems with, an implant could be a good option for its replacement.

An implant is basically a screw-like abutment made of medical grade metal that is embedded into the jawbone and is left in place for a couple of months so that the bone can integrate into its threads. By then it will have already fused well with the bone and be a suitable anchorage for a crown to be placed on it. Multiple implants can be placed for more than one missing tooth as well.

Implants can also benefit patients who’ve had all their teeth extracted. The anatomy of the lower arch, once all the teeth have been pulled, does not provide a good suction for a denture to stay in place, unlike how the upper arch does. More especially if the teeth have been out for a long time and the bone level has lost its height. For this, several implants can be placed to support a complete lower denture. It will have attachments that match to components on the underside of the denture, which will serve as a “lock and key mechanism” that holds the denture in place. Now you will never have to use denture adhesives!