Have you ever considered how you might feel or look if one or more teeth were to fall out? You probably don’t even want to think about it. I completely understand.
Dental implants are a great way to replace a missing tooth. A surgeon or periodontist will insert and fuse an artificial tooth into the jawbone. This is a great long-term solution for replacing teeth. If you lost your tooth many decades ago, the only options you had were a fixed denture or a bridge. A fixed bridge relies on healthy neighboring teeth to support it, which can negatively affect them over time. Removable dentures can slip or make irritating clicking noises when you speak.
Dental implants (made from titanium metal and fused with the jawbone), are preferred today. Implants last much longer than fixed bridges, which can be replaced twice or even three times over the course of a lifetime.
Why Do You Need an Implant?
Dental implants can be used to replace one tooth, multiple teeth or an entire set of teeth. In dentistry, the goal of replacing teeth is to restore function and aesthetics. Teeth replacement can be performed using the following options:
- Dental implant
- Removable dental appliance (partial or complete denture)
- A fixed dental bridge (connected)
Implants: Advantages and Benefits
Dental implants are a great way to replace missing teeth.
- Implants look beautiful. Dentures and bridges are not as attractive as implants. They are very strong and can be hardly distinguished from real teeth.
- The teeth adjacent to the impacted tooth are not affected.
- Implants do not require adjacent teeth to support them, so they keep the whole tooth healthy and strong.
- They boost confidence. You’ll feel more confident. It’s annoying, right? Dentures will always cause embarrassment because of the strange sounds they make and their tendency to slip. Implants are a different story. Implants will last for many decades and give you the confidence to smile with maximum confidence.
- They are reliable. You don’t need to worry about implants falling out, unlike dentures. You don’t need to replace them as often as you would with bridges.
- It is easy to eat with them. Eating with implants is the same as eating with natural teeth. Implants are a great option if you’re worried about dentures and the restrictions they come with. You can easily chew carrots and other crunchy food.
What can you expect when getting a dental implants?
It is important to understand that the dental implant procedure takes time. Prepare yourself for the following.
An examination and checkups are performed. This may be done by X-rays.
Treatment plan. Your dental professional and you will need to develop a treatment plan. Your provider will need to assess the condition of your jawbone, and how many teeth you have that require replacement before the procedure. You will receive instructions on how to properly care for the implant, which is similar to the way you would care for regular teeth.
Procedure. The implants are fused with the jawbone through several surgical procedures. This process can take up to 9 months. It is a long process, but the majority of it is spent healing and allowing new bone to grow in your jaw. During the procedure:
- The dental implant cylinder will be inserted into the jawbone
- Healing takes several months
- After healing, the abutment will be placed followed by a crown or prosthesis.
Control of pain. You will receive anesthesia to deal with the pain associated with your procedure (local, general or sedative). You will also need someone to drive you home following the surgery.
Final Thoughts
You can never be too late in achieving a healthy, beautiful smile. It has been scientifically proven that dental implants can stop the negative effects of a missing teeth on your medical and dental health. They can also improve the quality of your life. Why not schedule a consultation today? It’s worth the effort.
