As your dentist talks about your options when it comes to oral health, you may hear about dental implants in Mill Creek. These are designed to be permanent fixtures in the mouth, but that doesn’t mean you can just go about your day without looking after them.

There are times when elements of dental implants will need to be replaced, and that’s even with maintenance and care. Before you decide on these because they’re permanent, you’ll need to look into the details.

Titanium Roots Made to Be Lifelong Elements

Let’s start with the roots of your dental implants in Mill Creek. To make sure the tooth remains in place, a fake root is placed into the tooth. This is a titanium post that is screwed into the jaw, and it’s why your dentist will need to look into your whole oral health to ensure that this is the right type of replacement tooth for you.

Because the root is made of titanium, it’s designed to last a lifetime. It won’t degrade due to the saliva, bacteria, or other fluids in the body. This type of metal has been used for many needs, including replacement joints and plates in the skull, and they’re all designed to last with minimal care.

The Crown May Need Replacing

Now for the actual crown part of the dental implants in Mill Creek. This is the part that is on show to the rest of the world, and it’s screwed onto the titanium root. It looks just like a real tooth, and it’s shaped to fit in the mouth and support other teeth, whether real or fake. You can get crowns over real teeth, so think of it a little like them.

This is the part that can sometimes need replacing, and not just due to poor maintenance. The crown can suffer from damage due to normal wear and tear, as you use your mouth for eating. Your dentist will go through the average lifetime of the material used, and they’ll keep an eye on the health of the crown so you have a heads up if it starts to break down.

Good Oral Hygiene Is Essential

To make sure your dental implants in Mill Creek last, you will need to ensure that you practice good oral hygiene. This involves regular brushing and flossing, as you need to make sure you get rid of food and bacteria from the mouth on a regular basis. The bacteria and plaque are going to cause damage to the crown first, but eventually, they can get to the titanium root.

Lifestyle choices can also affect the lifetime of the implants, especially if you smoke. You can end up with jaw degradation, which can cause issues for the implants, and this is something that your dentist will discuss with you to make sure this type of addition to the mouth is right for you.

Dental implants in Mill Creek are designed to be lifelong additions to the mouth, especially when it comes to the root. Just make sure you care for your mouth and the implant so that the implant has the chance to last.