Living life with one or more missing teeth presents challenges that most of us take for granted; from worrying about what foods you can and cannot order at a restaurant, to feeling confident about your smile. While a missing tooth can affect your appearance, some people may not realize that it also affects your oral health. Fortunately, there are tons of great solutions out there, and your Green Tree Dental team can help! Here are just some of the reasons more people are choosing dental implants as the best choice for tooth replacement.
Dangers of Missing Teeth
When you lose a tooth, it’s not just your smile that’s affected. You also lose the tooth root located in your jaw. Without a root to support, your jawbone begins to deteriorate. The new space in your smile also presents complications, as your remaining teeth begin to shift and fill the gap. This puts your teeth at higher risk for fractures, wear, and periodontal disease. To protect the integrity of your oral health, it’s important to consider replacing your missing tooth.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are different than other tooth replacement options because they are seen as a long-term solution. Dental implants don’t just replace your missing tooth, but also the root that goes along with it. The procedure involves the fusing of a titanium post to the jawbone and allowing it time to heal and integrate with the bone around it. This gives patients a stable foundation for their new tooth, a custom-crafted porcelain crown. After your mouth has healed completely, the new tooth is attached to the freshly placed root with an abutment.
Previously, if you lost a tooth or multiple teeth, your best options were removable dentures or fixed bridges. The problem with these replacement options is their reliability on healthy neighboring teeth as anchors, which will impact them negatively down the road. Removable dentures are often noticeable, as they can slip and make unfavorable clicking sounds when you speak.
Unlike other tooth replacement solutions that may need to be replaced periodically, implants are durable and rarely, if ever, need replacement.
What are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that closely mimics the function and feel of your natural tooth. This means that you can enjoy all the ordinary actions of your teeth including chewing, biting, flossing, brushing, and of course, smiling. With this ability to have a strong bite force, you are able to enjoy your favorite foods. With a 95% success rate, dental implants are incredibly reliable and offer a long-lasting solution to patients who previously struggled with missing teeth. With regular dental check-ups and the right home care, your dental implants have the potential to last a lifetime. This makes dental implants one of the most cost-effective replacement options you can make for your oral health in the long-run.
Advantages of Dental Implants:
- Dental implants look as good as they feel. Compared to dentures and bridges, dental implants are an aesthetically superior option. Not only do they stay put, but they look just like your natural teeth. You might even forget that you ever lost a tooth!
- Dental implants protect adjacent teeth. Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants don’t need to be anchored to neighboring teeth. On the other hand, dental implants help preserve the integrity of your healthy teeth and prevent the potential for decay.
- Dental implants build confidence. Tooth replacement options such as dentures can slip or click while you talk, which can be unfavorable and embarrassing. Implants, on the other hand, remain firmly in place for decades. No one ever has to know that they are a replacement!
- Dental implants are reliable. With dental implants, you never have to worry about misplacing, damaging, or replacing your teeth. Dental implants stay in place, so you never have to think about them after they installed properly.
What to Expect
Dental implants are a long-term solution, and their procedure is not a quick one. Here’s what you need to know about Green Tree Dental’s multi-step implant process:
To determine if you are a good candidate for dental implants, we’ll first start with a complete dental exam. During this time, you will work closely with our experts to create a patient-focused treatment plan. Before the procedure, your dentist will consider the condition of your jawbone and how many teeth need to be replaced.
The placement of your dental implants involves several surgical procedures. Depending on your needs, this can take anywhere from three and nine months, and in some cases even longer. The journey might sound lengthy, but the majority of this time is allowing your new root to grow into your jaw and giving your mouth time to heal. Once healed, your provider will place the abutment, followed by a crown or implant prosthesis. When the procedure is complete, your dentist will give you directions on the proper care of your implant.
During treatment, you will be given a form of anesthesia (general or local) or sedation. It’s important that someone is present to take you home after the procedure.
Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?
Our dentist will determine if dental implants are the right tooth replacement option for you with x-rays and a thorough examination. To be successful, dental implants do require that:
- The patient is in good health overall.
- There is enough healthy bone structure to support the procedure.
While dental implants are an excellent option for most patients, if they are not in your future, our experts are happy to discuss other options for tooth replacement.
Green Tree Dental is proud to offer comprehensive dental implant care to patients in Boise, ID. While other practices may refer you to a specialist for implant placement, we can handle the surgical portion of your treatment from start to finish in-house, in addition to providing you with a high-quality restoration.
Don’t let a missing tooth hold you back from living the life you have dreamed of! Contact our office today to learn more about how can we help you achieve your smile goals.
