Our patients often ask us if their dental implants will feel like natural teeth. Implants are a popular tooth replacement option that look very natural. So how natural do they actually feel?
Dental Implants
Dental implants are tiny titanium screws which are implanted into the jaw bone to act as a replacement for the root of a missing tooth. Titanium is biocompatible, meaning that the screw can fuse with bone. Once fused the implant becomes a solid foundation for the restoration that goes on top. Depending on how many teeth you need replaced, the restoration portion of the implant will be a dental crown, bridge, or denture.
How natural do dental implants feel?
A dental implant is not alive like a natural tooth. That means that implants don't have any nerves in them to feel sensations, so you won’t have any feeling in the implant itself. Any sensations you experience related to the implant will come from the gum tissue surrounding it.
Other than that dental implants look and function just like natural teeth. Implants blend in perfectly with the surrounding natural teeth, and you care for them just like you care for your natural teeth.
You’ll find you hardly notice the difference at all once your implant has healed and you’ve had a few weeks to get used to it.