What are Dental Implants and When to Get Them?
How Might an Implant Benefit You?
A dental implant is a titanium post that acts as a replacement for the tooth’s root. The implant is placed directly into the jawbone and acts as a foundation for a dental crown, bridge, or replacement teeth. These replacements can look, and function just as normal teeth would, allowing you to eat, speak, and function just as easily as if they were your natural teeth. Missing teeth can affect your oral health, appearance, and self-esteem, and dental implants can act as a foundation for permanent solutions that will help to improve all of those things.
Confidence
It’s been said that a smile is the best thing that you can wear, and dental implants can help you wear it with confidence. The implants can help improve speaking issues and prevent the need for braces or other corrective treatments in the future. Filling in the gaps of the missing tooth roots will help prevent surrounding teeth from growing in crooked and shifting over time. It also helps to support the structure of the jawbone, in turn helping maintain that perfect smile.
Comfort
The added comfort from receiving dental implants is reason enough to pursue this life-changing alteration. Having a permanent implant helps create a more comfortable and secure feeling when eating, drinking, or talking. Missing teeth can lead to changes in the way you chew, causing jaw pain over time. Traditional dentures—one of the main alternatives to dental implants—have been known to cause problems when it comes to eating due to fit-issues and changes in the bone structure over time. Because dental implants are permanent and help secure the structure of the face, these issues of pain and discomfort are eliminated when switching to dental implants.
Convenience
In addition to being more secure and comfortable, having a permanent dental implant is far more convenient than the alternative of traditional dentures, which require a daily application each morning and night. Traditional dentures often require adhesive to help secure them in place, which can be messy while adding extra steps in your oral hygiene routine. Dental implants are permanent, which means no adhesive, no extra application, and no additional maintenance. Once the procedure is complete, dental implants simply require the same care as your natural teeth—brushing, flossing, rinsing, and routine dental visits.
How Do Dental Implants Work and Are They Durable?
The process of having a dental implant placed involves cutting into the gums where the replacement tooth will go and drilling a hole deep into the jawbone. The dental implant is then placed in the hole, allowing your bone to fuse to the titanium implant and act as a foundation for the tooth replacement. This new implant will be just as strong as the natural roots of your teeth.
Because the dental implant is made of titanium and the bone fuses directly to it, a strong foundation is created that helps to prevent any slipping, movement, and noise that may come with alternatives like dentures. Titanium is a durable product that will not rot or decay over time.
Preparing for Dental Implants
Contacting us here at Grove City Dental to schedule a dental exam and review your medical history is the best first step in preparing for dental implants to ensure all questions for you are answered and the Doctor has been able to access the success of an implant for you. Dental implant surgery is typically an outpatient surgery, sometimes requiring multiple surgeries to complete the procedure, depending on the circumstances. The entire process can involve removing old or partial teeth, possible bone grafts, placing the dental implant, and finally placing the replacement tooth, bridge, or crown. After the surgery is completed, the healing process begins, sometimes taking many months as your gums heal. During this time, your bones will begin to grow and fuse to the dental implant.
Don’t let that deter you though - although it can be a lengthy process and require some patience, most patients who have received dental implants say that the procedure is less painful than a simple tooth extraction. The finished product makes it all worth it when you can finally see a full set of teeth and a beautiful smile.
If you have questions about dental implants, or would like to book a free consultation to see if dental implants would be a good fit for you, contact us today at Grove City Dental.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/dental-implant-surgery
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/dental-devices/dental-implants-what-you-should-know