4 Things You Need to Know About Dental Implants
Important facts for individuals considering dental implants.
Are you missing one or more teeth? You may be feeling very self-conscious about your appearance. The good news is dental implants can help. Here are 4 important facts you need to know about getting dental implants to replace your missing teeth.
Dental Implants Are the Best Solution for Missing Teeth
Most options for replacing missing teeth, such as bridges or dentures, only replace the top portion of the tooth. This is helpful for eating, speaking, and smiling, but it does not address the problems that stem from missing tooth roots. The root is very important for stimulating the jawbone. When you lose a tooth, this stimulation stops and you can lose a significant amount of bone mass in the jaw. However, with a dental implant, you can replace the lost root and arrest bone loss. The titanium implant peg will actually bond with the bone for a very strong and stable tooth replacement. This makes dental implants the healthiest and best option for replacing the entire structure of a missing tooth.
You Are Never Too Old for Dental Implants
Age is not a restricting factor when getting dental implants. Your oral health is far more important. Regardless of your age, if you have healthy gums and sufficient bone mass in your jaw, and if you are otherwise healthy enough for surgery, you can get dental implants.
Dental Implants Are Not Maintenance-Free
While dental implants are obviously immune to cavities, they are still susceptible to gum disease. This means that you still need to brush and floss your dental implants and continue visiting your dentist for routine cleanings and exams. This is true even if you have had all the teeth in your upper and lower arches replaced with sets of all-on-4 dental implants. Your dentist will be instrumental in helping to control gum disease infections which could otherwise spread to your implant pegs and cause complications.
Same Day Dental Implants Aren’t What They Seem
With the growing popularity of dental implants, some clinics have started to offer what they call “same day dental implants.” It is important to understand that no one can really provide permanent dental implants in just one day. What you get with same day dental implants is simply a temporary crown (or temporary full set of teeth in the case of all-on-4 dental implants). These temporary teeth can’t really be used like natural teeth—you need to be careful to avoid biting too hard with them lest this put stress on the bone around the still-healing implant peg. You will need to wait for the bone to fully integrate with the implant peg and become stable before having your permanent crowns placed. Placing the permanent crowns too soon after surgery can actually increase the risk of complications or even failure, especially if the bone is soft. The amount of time required for healing will vary for each individual patient, but for best results most implant experts recommend waiting 12 weeks to place the permanent implants.
Want to Learn More?
If you would like to learn more about getting dental implants, please contact California Dental Group and request an appointment with one of our skilled implant dentists.
