Are Dental Implants Right for You?

Dental Implants have become one of the most popular, and predictable procedures for replacement of lost teeth offered in dentistry today. Dental implants have been proven time and again to be safe and effective for long term tooth replacement.

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Who Are Dental Implants Right For?

Dental implants are the ideal choice for patients in generally good oral health who have lost a single tooth or multiple teeth. The tooth loss can be due to periodontal disease progression, trauma, or any other reason. Dental implants are actually more tooth saving than traditional crowns and bridges, since dental implants do not remove healthy teeth structure or rely on adjacent teeth for support.

Sufficient amount of bone is needed to support the dental implants, and the ideal candidates are free of periodontal disease and have healthy dental history. Dental implants are intimately connected with the underlying bone and gum tissues in the mouth.

So, maintenance of dental hygiene is necessary for a positive long term prognosis. With technique and material advancements, dental bone grafts are now more successful than ever and can be used to augment your natural bone. Be honest with your dentist regarding health issues or anything that could ultimately affect the success (or failure) of the procedure. There is an increased risk of failure in patients who smoke. For this reason, dental implants are frequently placed only after a patient has stopped smoking.

Once restored, dental implants are very natural looking and the patient will not feel or notice any difference after it is healed. You may even forget you ever lost a tooth in the first place. A person’s self confidence is definitely affected by their smile. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth.  Maybe your dentures don’t feel secure.  Perhaps you have difficulty chewing. If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort  and confidence, there is good news!  Dental implants are teeth that can look and feel just like your own! Under proper conditions dental implants can last a lifetime.  Long-term studies continue to show extremely high success rates for dental implants in the real world.

Dental Implants and their advantages

  • Cosmetics: When completed properly dental implants will look and feel like your own teeth. Another plus is that since dental implants are placed directly in bone they prevent bone loss and gingival recession that happens over time in areas where teeth are missing. No one but you and your dentist should ever know you have a dental implant.
  • Dental Implants are Conservative: Dental implants allow the dentist to save your adjacent teeth from preparations. A traditional bridge requires the preparation of adjacent teeth. Using dental implants is a long term benefit to the patients dental health by saving their natural tooth structure.
  • Increased Self Confidence: The wonder of dental implants is that they allow patients to talk and eat full of self confidence. Dental implants offer security and freedom.
  • Highly Predictable: Dental implants have had a long track record of a very high success rate. Due to this they are an excellent option for tooth replacement.

Patient Expectations

Placement of implants and restoration with crowns or dentures, patients can expect a life long restoration that will be stable and cosmetic.

Just because these products are man made does not mean oral hygiene should be forgotten and neglected. Dental hygiene must be maintained at a high level if the patient wants to ensure these restorations last.

Follow up dental visits are required just as if you had your own natural teeth. If dental implants are well taken care of the patient should expect them to last a lifetime!