With every tooth that fails or falls out, a little bit of your quality of life is lost along with it.
As the top teeth replacement option by far, dental implants offer the promise of replacing teeth permanently with a degree of stability and reliability that nears that of natural teeth.
Like anything that permanently changes your life, committing to getting dental implants is no small decision. There’s a lot you need to know beforehand.
Here are five of the top things you’ll want to know about dental implants.
1. Yes, they do work and look like natural teeth
Embedded in the jawbones, the roots of natural teeth are what give them their stability. It’s what helps them translate the power of the jaws into biting and chewing power to grind down found. Dental implants work the same way.
The titanium roots of dental implants are embedded in the jawbones. Over time, the titanium fuses with the jawbone to provide a reliable foundation for your replacement teeth – be it a dental crown, bridges, hybrid dentures or overdentures.
2. No, the procedure won’t be painful
Without anesthesia, implant placement surgery would be unbearable. But with just a little local anesthesia, you won’t feel any pain at the implant sites as your dentist uses surgical guides to place your dental implants with pinpoint accuracy.
3. Expect to invest about a year for planning, placement and healing
It’ll start with a consultations and examinations. From there you’ll set a date, follow through with implant placement, and then go through a few months of healing while wearing temporary teeth before getting your permanent replacement teeth.
In all, it usually takes about a year from consultation to final restoration.
4. Just like natural teeth, you’ll have to protect them from gum disease
While dental implants are resistant to gum disease, they aren’t impervious to bacteria. Lapses in routine dental care, or long periods of irregularity in it, can facilitate the growth and spread of gum disease and can even compromise your new teeth.
Caring for your implants will be simple and very familiar:
- Brush twice a day
- Floss after brushing
- Use a water flosses to clean under your replacement teeth
- Use an antibacterial mouthwash to finish up
5. They could last you the rest of your life
If you choose an experienced prosthodontist and diligently care for your dental implants, they could last you the rest of your life.
