One of the first questions we get during a dental implants consultation is, “Will they feel like my natural teeth?” Implants are the preferred tooth replacement options because, unlike dentures, they give wearers the most natural look and feel. But just how natural do they feel?
What Are Dental Implants?
In order to get a grasp on how implants feel, it’s important to understand what a dental implant actually is. If you are missing a tooth – whether because of a dental trauma or because you’ve had it extracted – a dental implant serves as a replacement for the tooth root. It consists of a titanium screw placed into the jaw bone and a post. The titanium is biocompatible, which means that it can fuse with bone and become a solid foundation for the screw and restoration that goes on top. The restoration part of the implant is a dental crown, bridge, or denture, depending on how many teeth you need replaced.
How Natural Do Implants Feel?
Because a dental implant is replacing a missing tooth, you don’t have any feeling in the implant itself. Any feeling you have comes from the surrounding gum tissue. That means that the implant doesn’t feel exactly like your natural tooth. With your natural teeth, you have tooth roots that have nerves that feel sensations – heat, cold, pressure, etc. An implant can’t feel these things because there aren’t roots or nerves. You have to rely on the nerves in the surrounding gum tissue to provide the sensation for the missing tooth. Other than that, though, a dental implant looks and functions just like natural teeth. We can design them to blend in perfectly with surrounding healthy teeth, and you care for implants just like you do the rest of your teeth. Once you’ve had your implant for a few weeks, we bet you’ll hardly notice a difference!
Still have questions about dental implants? Give us a call or schedule a consultation using our online form. Dr. Ghimire is a skilled implants dentist, and she can walk you through the entire process and answer any questions you might have. Let us give you a beautiful new smile!