Losing our permanent teeth is an almost universal part of aging. Few have the good fortune (or good dental hygiene habits) to keep them for life. Our teeth are one of the first things others see, and straight, white teeth are a mark of beauty. Dental implants Norfolk Va can restore what time and circumstance may have taken away.

Life in general - and modern life in particular - is hard on teeth. Refined and sugary foods cause decay. People in a hurry fail to brush, floss, and visit the dentist as often as good oral hygiene demands. Early childhood nutrition and daily diet as adults affects how well our teeth will stand up to the years of use and abuse. Illness can cause discoloration and loss, and injury can knock them right out of your head.

Going around with a gap in your smile is no fun. This used to be standard for people in frontier days. Later, when dentures became more popular, a gap-toothed grin was perceived as a mark of poverty. The stereotypes included toothless grandmas rocking by the hearth, informers lurking in alleys, and Appalachian mothers with flocks of children.

False teeth helped many retain the look if not the feel of the real thing. Although dentures could slip, making eating and talking difficult, and took some of the pleasure out of every morsel of food, at least people could smile when introduced to others. Trying to get well-fitting and natural-looking dentures could become a long quest.

Bridges are partial dentures, designed to replace one tooth or a few missing ones. They hook onto real teeth, which is not good for the ones used as support. However, they can make things easier for those who have lost their two front teeth or a molar or two. These partial replacements are less uncomfortable than full dentures but are often a temporary solution.

Implanting a tooth is a permanent solution. No matter why the original tooth was lost, an oral surgeon can place a titanium post in the socket and build a lifelike tooth on it. The bone of the jaw fuses to the post, making it as secure as the original root. The crown which covers the post is fashioned to match your remaining teeth, giving a completely realistic appearance to your smile.

This process eliminates the problems of conventional false teeth. Implants look and feel like real teeth, and function just as well. You take care of them in the same way, by brushing and flossing. You can smile, eat, and converse in a natural manner. This restoration procedure will boost your self-confidence and make all of life more pleasant.

Finding dental implant specialists in Norfolk VA is easy. Schedule a free consultation to see if you have the bone structure to make this procedure successful. It is an affordable and relatively painless way to regain what you may have lost to time, injury, illness, or poor oral hygiene. Getting your smile back will be a new lease on life.