Dental implants are an alternative to dentures or natural-looking false teeth. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding bone recedes and the gums shrink. This exposes your other teeth, making them more prone to decay and future fractures. A dental implant is a titanium screw that is inserted into the jawbone where your tooth used to be. Over time, new bone grows around it in what’s known as osseointegration – a process by which human bones fuse with foreign objects. Once the implant has integrated with its new home, it can support a replacement tooth such as a crown or a bridge.
How are dental implants different from natural teeth?
Dental implants are not your natural teeth. They are a prosthetic, so they don’t contain your own living cells. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding bone recedes and the gums shrink. This exposes your other teeth, making them more prone to decay and future fractures. A dental implant is a titanium screw that is inserted into the jawbone where your tooth used to be.
Over time, new bone grows around it in what’s known as osseointegration – a process by which human bones fuse with foreign objects. Once the implant has integrated with its new home, it can support a replacement tooth such as a crown or a bridge. Dental implants help you look and feel better, regain your self-esteem, and have a better quality of life. For over 50 years, dental implants have been used to replace missing teeth and they’re now the standard of care for restoring functionality in a rapidly deteriorating mouth.
Pros of dental implants
Dental implants are very long-lasting. In fact, they are the most long-lasting solution for replacing missing teeth. No other tooth replacement option has the same level of a success rate as dental implants. For this reason, dental implants are often recommended for people who have a high risk of losing teeth. They are also used for people with gum disease, those who have had root canals, and those who are missing all their teeth in one arch.
Dental implants look and feel natural. Unlike dentures, which can cause embarrassing slips during eating, dental implants can be placed in such a way that they are practically unnoticeable. They look, feel, and sound just like natural teeth would. This can be especially helpful for those who want to maintain an active lifestyle.
Cons of dental implants
There are some disadvantages to dental implants, too. The most obvious is the cost; dental implants are expensive. It can be difficult to properly heal after receiving dental implants, which can sometimes be painful. Anyone who is considering dental implants should understand that it’s a long-term solution that will require ongoing maintenance.
An oral surgeon will usually have to perform a surgical procedure to place the implant. There is a chance that the implant could fail or cause an infection. In the worst case scenario, the implant could fail to integrate with the jawbone and have to be removed. This could cause the jawbone to shrink, making it more difficult to have more implants placed in the future.
Is a dental implant as good as a natural tooth?
It depends on the circumstances. It can be difficult to make a direct comparison because each person’s teeth are unique. A dental implant is not a tooth that has been extracted, so it doesn’t suffer from the same wear and tear that a natural tooth would. It also doesn’t have as many nerves as a natural tooth, which some people might find comforting. That being said, dental implants are very strong. They are definitely more resistant to fracture than real teeth and they can last up to a lifetime. The only thing they can’t do is regrow if you lose them.
Your smile should last a lifetime, and with dental implants; it will. Replacing missing teeth is important to your overall health and also to the health of your other teeth. When natural teeth are missing, you not only lose functionality but also can experience a host of other issues. Having missing teeth is not only embarrassing, but your mouth will deteriorate rapidly if left untreated.
The costs of dental implants
The initial implant surgery and x-rays are usually covered by dental insurance. However, there is a significant cost of maintaining dental implants. This includes the cost of the implant itself and the cost of maintaining the implant such as cleaning or replacing the crown.
The average cost for a single dental implant starts at $300 and may vary upto $1500. The good news is that dental implants can last for decades, so in the long run, they will probably cost less than the alternatives. Dentures, for example, only last about 10 years on average. They also require regular replacement and can be very expensive.
Conclusion
A dental implant is a titanium screw that is inserted into the jawbone where your tooth used to be. Over time, new bone grows around it in what’s known as osseointegration – a process by which human bones fuse with foreign objects. Once the implant has integrated with its new home, it can support a replacement tooth such as a crown or a bridge. Dental implants are very long-lasting. They are also very strong and look and feel natural. On the other hand, they are not your real teeth and they are very expensive to maintain. No two teeth are the same, so the best way to determine if dental implants are right for you is to talk to your dentist.
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