How can dental implants help? As kids, we all lose our baby teeth. Adults, however, receive no gold coins from the tooth fairy after a tooth goes missing. In fact, whether the result of injury, tooth decay or periodontal disease, tooth loss is often a traumatic experience. Statistics show that 69 per cent of adults have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. Furthermore, after age 65 over 21 per cent of people have lost all their natural teeth. Missing teeth can wreak havoc on your self-esteem, result in speech and chewing problems and cause sagging facial features that make you look older than your age.
If you’re afraid to say “Cheese!” when someone whips out a camera, talk to your dentist about dental implants. They are used to replace missing teeth, with the implant acting as a prosthetic tooth root.
Teeth restored with dental implants look, feel and function just like natural teeth. Dental implants can restore your smile and bite, meaning that you can stop ducking behind houseplants and strike a pose thanks to your new, attractive smile.
What Happens After I Decide to Get a Dental Implant?
- The first step is to meet with an experienced dentist, who will assess your situation and develop a treatment plan.
- During surgery, your dentist will insert the dental implant into your jaw.
- As you heal, the implant will fuse with your jawbone to form a strong foundation for your replacement teeth. During this 6-12 week period, temporary solutions can replace your missing teeth.
- Once the implant bonds with your jaw, your dentist will place a small connector on top of the implant to connect it to the replacement tooth or teeth.
- A tooth, bridge or dentures containing multiple teeth are then attached to the connector to create a fixed, permanent and natural result.
What if I’m still unsure?
While a fixed bridge or denture can help replace missing teeth, a dental implant is often the best treatment plan for restoring your bite and smile.
Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that never slip or click to advertise that you have “false teeth”.
In addition to eliminating the day-to-day frustrations and discomfort of ill-fitting dentures, dental implants never decay like fixed bridges. If properly cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime.
So if the thought of posing for a photo makes you want to run for the hills, head instead to your trusted dental practice to discuss dental implants. Life’s too short for frowning, right?
