Dental Implants

Advantages of Dental Implants

Even with improved dental care procedures, several people still lose teeth to different causes. Some people lose their teeth to decay because they do not take adequate care of them, while some lose their teeth to accidents and mishaps. People who lost their teeth in times past only had the option of bridges and dentures. Dental implants are a third option available to people who lose their teeth today.

 What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are a replacement for lost teeth. Unlike other tooth replacements, dental implants also replace the root of the lost teeth to provide the same stability as a natural tooth. This root is made by affixing a titanium post to the jawbone and then affixing the artificial teeth to this titanium post root. There are two major types of dental implants, endosteal implants, and subperiosteal implants. Endosteal implants are embedded in the jawbone while subperiosteal implants are affixed to the top of the jawbone. Subperiosteal implants are for people whose jawbones have little height.

 Advantages of Dental Implants

  1. Aesthetics

Dental implants can be designed in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Your dentist will also help to modify the tooth so that it matches the other teeth and fits into the gap perfectly. The result of this is a tooth that looks exactly like your other natural teeth. Only people you tell will know that you have dental implants.

  1. Behavior

Dental implants behave just like your real teeth. Because they are fitted unto your jawbone with a titanium post which provides the same rigidity as your tooth root, you can bite down as hard as you will with your natural teeth. You do not have to treat your dental implants in any way different from how you will treat your normal teeth because it is anchored firmly and stably to your jawbone.

  1. Prevents bone loss

The loss of a tooth leads to the deterioration of your jawbone. This is because the tooth is absent to stimulate the jawbone in that region. The only tooth replacement option which can imitate the stimulation of the jawbone is a dental implant. The process of stimulating bone growth, called osseointegration, is started by your dental implants, allowing you to recover any lost jawbone mass.

  1. Prevents changes in the shape of your face

Your teeth support the shape of your face. Losing your teeth will lead to the disfiguration of your facial structure. Bone loss in your jawbone due to tooth loss could also lead to a change in the shape of your face. Dental implants rectify both of these issues to restore your original facial structure. They replace your natural teeth and also help to stimulate bone growth to replace lost bone mass in your jawbone.

  1. They are long-lasting

Dental implants, unlike other tooth replacement options, can last you a lifetime. With the right care, just like your natural teeth, they do not have to be repaired or replaced regularly.

  1. They help to save cost

Dental implants will help to save you money in the long run. Although they may cost more to install than other tooth replacement options initially, you will save money eventually because you do not need to have them restored, repaired, or replaced periodically. Getting dental implants will help you replace the tooth once and then forget about it and live your life normally.

  1. They won't limit what you can eat

A lot of people that have their teeth replaced have issues with eating some foods that are either too hard, too hot, or too cold. They have to adjust their diet to accommodate the replaced tooth. This is however not the case with dental implants. They allow you to apply as much force as you can with your natural teeth and allow you to eat all you could when you had all your natural teeth.

  1. They restore your confidence

Losing your tooth could affect one's confidence, with one unable to smile as widely, or talk as freely as one could when one had all of their teeth intact. Replacing with a less realistic tooth replacement could also raise embarrassing questions. A dental implant is however undifferentiable from a natural tooth and will therefore allow you to live your life with all the confidence you have.

  1. They are easy to care for

Dental implants do not require any special care. You take care of them the same way you will care for your natural teeth. That is brush them twice daily with a fluoride-based toothpaste, do regular dental cleanings, and visit your dentist regularly. You should however not think that since dental implants are artificial, they do not have to be cleaned. Dental implants will still attract plaque and tartar if they are left uncleaned.

  1. They are suitable for most people

Dental implants are suitable for most people. To install dental implants, the major consideration is the presence of jawbone mass to support the titanium posts that will serve as the root for the tooth.

 Procedures

Each dental implant procedure may differ due to several factors such as the number of teeth that have to be replaced, the health of the bones the implants are to be embedded in, as well as the health of the person undergoing the procedure.

In some people, additional procedures have to be undergone to prepare them for the dental implants procedure. These include sinus augmentation which may need to be done if the sinuses are in the way of the placements of the implants. In this procedure, the sinuses are raised to allow room for the growth of more bone for the dental implants to be embedded.

Other people will have to undergo a ridge modification which involves the reparation of the jawbone in the case of deformities to the bone.

 Conclusion

Dental Implants are a permanent tooth replacement option for people who lose their teeth. The procedure of affixing dental implants has a 98% success rate. Dental implants have several advantages over other tooth replacement options. At Lakeside Dental, we will examine to determine if you are suitable to have dental implants installed. Reach out to us today to inquire about what dental replacement procedure is best for you.