Dental implants are a very popular method of dental replacement, but like any medical procedure, it's normal to have concerns or questions that you want answered before signing up. If you've been nervous about the idea of having a permanent dental implant placed in your mouth and have wondered about whether it's really safe, then here's what you should know.

Material

First off, consider the implant itself. While different types of dental crowns may be mounted on top of an implant, the core peg that is inserted into your gums is always made out of the same material: titanium.

Titanium is extremely popular in medical applications for a variety of reasons. It's extremely strong, which means that the implant can withstand daily chewing and grinding. But titanium is also a type of metal that the body doesn't negatively respond to. It won't cause inflammation, and it won't trigger an auto-immune response. It's utilized in all kinds of medical implants outside of dental work, like replacement knees and hips, so you're not entering uncharted territory here.

Mechanism

Most teeth replacements are just designed to help you to speak and chew readily, but dental implants are a bit different. Instead of sitting on top of your gums, which can lead to replacements like dentures and bridges sliding or moving, dental implants are harnessed by your jaw bone. It takes some time for the gums and jaw to fully heal and grow new bone cells around the base of the titanium peg. However, once this process is complete, it allows you to chew on the tooth and put as much pressure as you would a normal tooth without any concerns about it shifting, being damaged, or falling out.

Benefits

Due to the way that they're set up, dental implants can actually help your mouth to regain some of its health and keep your bones strong.

Real teeth aren't just the small part that's exposed over the gums. The tooth is long and goes down (or up) into the jaw bone. A dental implant does this same thing, which is an important difference between it and other dental prosthetics. Implants channel pressure from chewing like a real tooth would, stimulating your gums, improving circulation, and encouraging the jaw bone to stay strong and healthy.

While your real tooth is gone, that doesn't mean that you have to settle for an inferior replacement method. With dental implants, you're likely to forget you ever had a missing tooth in the first place. Talk to a dentist to set up an appointment and learn more.