What to Know About Dental Implants Even though our teeth are meant to last us a lifetime, sometimes damage can occur to them which results in the loss of a tooth. Despite the fact that we have a mouth full of teeth, every single one of them is needed to help us in eating, speech, and having a nice smile. So when our teeth are severely damaged or missing, it is understandable that we would consult a dentist for treatment. While there weren’t many permanent procedures to help replace a tooth in the past, modern dental practices are moving towards.
Unlike dentures and other prior methods of replacing missing or damaged teeth, dental implants work by having a surgeon implant a permanent synthetic tooth into the patient’s gums in a method similar to our natural teeth. This has a number of advantages for both the
patient and the dentist as it integrates well into the mouth and requires very little special treatment. One of the biggest advantages of a dental implant is in the daily routine care they require. Unlike other teeth analogs that require extensive hygiene and maintenance to stay healthy and looking natural, dental implants can be cleaned with the same toothbrush and floss you use on the rest of your mouth. Dentists may recommend a dental implant to somebody who is missing a tooth but is using an alternative treatment is to prevent further damage to the surrounding teeth. Our teeth depend on one another for shape and density, and when a tooth becomes missing or severely damaged, the other teeth begin to deteriorate aswell. While treatments such as dental bridges are able to help prevent shifts in the existing teeth, they don’t provide the same level of durability and support as a dental implant and may require frequent replacement. Dental implants if properly cared for can last a lifetime and be seamlessly integrated into a mouth to provide support to the other teeth in a non-invasive treatment. Another reason that dental implants are becoming more popular among patients is how natural they look in one’s mouth. Dentures and other synthetic teeth have differences to regular teeth such as clicks and sliding around improperly that can make one feel self-conscious about their speech, smile and while eating. This can lead to unneeded issues with one’s self-esteem, but luckily there are more permanent solutions that don’t have these issues. Dental implants are securely seated in the gums with a metal root, and are able to stay in place without the assistance of nuisances such as dental glue. For people who are uncomfortable with how their current
artificial teeth look, sound or feel in their mouth, they may want to make the switch to a dental implant if their dentist thinks it is safe. Many people are concerned about getting a dental implant because of fears that it is a painful surgery that has the risk for many complications. While there are exceptions to the rule, normally dental implants are a rather pain-free experience due to the majority of the dental work being done under either local or general anesthesia. Since most of the surgery is done in an environment where the patient is unable to feel pain and the healing process is relatively quick, dental implants often only require mild pain killers for the first few days or weeks after the procedure. Also most dentist’s will schedule a follow up appointment where you will be able to voice any concerns to them to help ensure the surgery recovers as smoothly as possible. Dental implants are one of the most versatile surgeries that a dentist has at their disposal. A dental implant can treat any case where the tooth has been damaged or completely lost. For people who are looking to treat missing or broken teeth, a dental implant is a choice that can look natural in their mouth which with proper care can last a lifetime.