What You Need to Know About Getting Dental Implants
Getting dental implants can be an excellent way to correct missing teeth
Have you lost one or more teeth due to age or accident? You need to replace them, and not just because gaps in your smile are unattractive. Missing teeth can actually be bad for your overall well-being in the long term because they make it more difficult to eat, speak, and socialize. Fortunately, you can find a permanent and attractive long-term solution to your missing teeth with dental implants from California Dental Group.
Why Dental Implants Are the Best Solution for Missing Teeth
Dental implants are the only permanent solution for missing teeth. Most importantly, they are the only treatment that arrests bone loss in your jaw. This is very important because ongoing bone loss in the area of a missing tooth can destabilize neighboring teeth, causing movement and perhaps even eventual tooth loss. Dental implants typically use a titanium implant peg that will actually bond with the bone in the jaw in a process called osseointegration. This provides the same sort of stimulation that a natural tooth root would, and also creates a very stable foundation for the dental implant crown.
How to Tell If You Are a Good Candidate for Dental Implants
Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants. The ideal candidate would be someone who has good oral health and good overall health. This includes good bone density in the jaw. If a lot of bone density has been lost, it is possible to correct the issue with bone grafts but this adds time and expense to the procedure. It is also important for dental implant candidates to be non-smokers. Smoking can interfere with the healing process after surgery, which may weaken the implants can lead to failure. Finally, it is important that you are committed to maintaining good oral hygiene after you get your implants to guard against any possibility of infection.
How to Pay for Dental Implants
Often, the high cost of dental implants is a significant hurdle for patients. Most dental insurance plans do not cover dental implants, though you may be able to get coverage for certain aspects of the procedure with help from an experienced dental care coordinator. Typically, the best way to pay for dental implants is using a HSA account, which will at least provide you with some tax savings.
If you would like to learn more about getting dental implants, please contact California Dental Group today.
