For utmost stability and lifelike, lasting function, consider tooth replacement with dental implants

Dental implants are revolutionizing how dentists replace missing teeth and restore healthy, happy, confident smiles. As specialists in oral and systemic health, the dentists at West Suburban Oral Health Care, Drs. Susan Mazzei, Kelsey Esposito, and Ashley Nguyen, are big advocates for this form of tooth replacement that promotes lasting health, function, and wellbeing.

The implant difference

Historically, patients with gaps in their smiles had one of two options to replace those missing teeth:

• Dental bridges
• Partial and complete or full dentures

Bridges were not appropriate for everyone. Generally, some healthy, neighboring teeth are necessary to support the bridge because the replacement teeth are anchored by their neighbors. This treatment also involves altering otherwise healthy anchor teeth to accommodate the crown placed on top of them. Crowns are needed to provide the maximum support to the new teeth.

Dentures have generally relied on suction or products such as adhesives to hold the appliance in place. They also do not promote maximum lasting bone health. Over time, the bone resorbs because the denture is not attached to the underlying bone. So, the bony tissues do not get the stimulation they need to stay strong. The result is bone loss, which causes the facial structure to change and retreat, and can result in a poor-fitting denture that slips around the mouth and no longer functions as it once did.

Dental implants are different, as they are designed like natural teeth! They do not merely replace the part of the tooth that you can see in the smile: the crown. They also replace the vital component underneath the crown: the root. In fact, the dental implant is a replacement tooth root. It is positioned precisely in the jawbone. The implant made from a biocompatible material naturally fuses with time to the surrounding bone. Once it has completely healed, the implant can then “root” or stabilize the replacement teeth in the mouth. Since part of the tooth remains in the jaw, the bone gets the stimulation it needs to be strong. Patient satisfaction follows; our extended dental family reports exceptional comfort, lifelike function and appearance, unparalleled stability, and no-hassle maintenance. Implant-supported teeth are designed and function like natural teeth. So, no special care or products are necessary to maintain them. They also do not require ongoing adjustments, repairs, relining, and rebasing, as with conventional dentures.

Implants may be used to replace a single tooth, a few teeth, several teeth, or all of the teeth in an upper or lower arch for a complete smile makeover. Call West Suburban Oral Health Care at 630-393-3045 to schedule your appointment at our practice in Naperville, which is also privileged to serve members of our community from Wheaton, Warrenville, Glen Ellyn, and North Aurora.

Dr. Susan Mazzei is committed to delivering compassionate and effective care to patients of all ages and backgrounds in Naperville, Illinois. She is a highly skilled dentist who earned her Certification in Prosthodontics after graduating from Northwestern University Dental School.

After finishing her studies, she enrolled in the Northwestern University Dental School faculty as a full-time Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Mazzei believes that optimal dental health begins with education and preventative care and educates patients at West Suburban Oral Healthcare on how to take more control of their oral health, which promotes optimal systemic health.

Dr. Mazzei is dedicated to upgrading her education and being up to date on the newest breakthroughs in oral health and dentistry, ensuring that her patients receive the finest care possible.

Dr. Kelsey Esposito joined West Suburban Oral Health Care as an Associate General Dentist in 2017 after meeting Dr. Mazzei, with whom she shared a belief in providing comprehensive, personalized dental care.

She holds a BA in Economics and Fine Art from Kalamazoo College and a Premedicine Post-Baccalaureate Certificate from Northwestern University. Before entering dentistry, she worked in healthcare advertising and communications for a large ad company and a small non-profit cancer research organization. She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from The University of Illinois, Chicago.

Dr. Esposito is a member of several leading professional associations, like the American Dental Association and Academy of General Dentistry. Paying attention to detail and offering quality care that makes patients satisfied with their oral health and smiles are her goals.