Even with the improvements and innovations in dental care, millions of people suffer from
tooth loss every year. This happens due to various reasons such as periodontal disease, tooth decay, or injury. For many years, bridges and dentures were the only treatment solutions available for those with missing teeth. However, dental implants have become a quite popular dental treatment for missing teeth.
What Are Dental Implants?
In simple words, dental implants are a replacement for missing teeth. They are a restorative dentistry procedure that are made to match your natural teeth, returning your smile back to normal. You have the option of getting single tooth implants or multiple teeth implants, depending on how many teeth are missing.
What are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Dental implants have many benefits to offer.
Improved Aesthetics of Your Smile
Dental implants look and feel like your natural teeth since they are fused with your bone to become permanent. This helps restore your smile back to normal.
Improved Speech
Dentures often make it quite difficult to talk as they can keep slipping out. Dental implants are a better restorative dentistry option for lost teeth as they allow you to speak without having to worry about them becoming loose or slipping out.
Superior Comfort
Since dental implants become a part of your body due to the infusion of the metal with your jawbone, they eliminate the discomfort that you otherwise might experience by getting dentures.
Improved Oral Health
Dental implants help keep your teeth intact and improve your overall oral health. Unlike other restorative dental procedures such as bridges, dental implants don’t require you to alter your nearby teeth to support the implant. This helps protect and improve your long-term oral health.
Improved Self-Esteem
By improving your smile and your overall oral health, dental implants help boost your self-esteem and give you the confidence to smile more often.
What Is Involved in Getting a Dental Implant?
The first step of the dental implant installation process includes the setting of the base, also known as the tooth root implant. This is basically a titanium post that is placed in the root of your missing tooth, and is left for a few weeks to allow it to bind with your jawbone.
This process is known as osseointegration. Once the jawbone heals, your dentist will place the crown on top of it. A dental crown is typically made out of ceramic or porcelain, and is shaped and colored according to your teeth, allowing it to blend in with your natural teeth.
Some dental implants also require the installation of a third part – a small connector post – known as an abutment. This addition is made between the bone and the crown to securely hold the tooth.
Who is a Candidate for Dental Implants?
You have to undergo surgery with anesthesia to install dental implants. Therefore, your dentist will need your medical records or a signed letter from your general physician, deeming you fit enough to undergo the treatment. You need to have a good overall oral health routine that includes daily brushing and flossing to get dental implants. Those with gum disease have a higher chance of dental implant failure, so they don’t qualify for implants.
If you are looking to get dental implants, you should visit a dentist to see if you qualify. If you’re searching for a dentist, we are here for you. You can call us now at (715) 848-2435 to book your appointment along with your next
dental cleanings and
dental exams.
