Clayton, Missouri Dental Implants

Advantages of Dental Implants

There’s a reason dental implants are growing in popularity. They offer so many advantages over other types of teeth replacement options. Some of the biggest benefits you’ll experience with your dental implants include:

• Natural look and fit: Dental implants are not natural teeth, but they certainly act and feel like them. Stop worrying about smiling, eating, and going out with friends after you get dental implants.
• Reliable: While dentures and other types of teeth replacements typically need replacing after approximately five years, dental implants can last a lifetime. Many find they never need their implant replaced.
• Great success rates: Other types of teeth replacements have moderate failure rates. When that happens, the patient needs another procedure, which can be quite an ordeal. Dental implants though, have a very high success rate and rarely fail or have complications.
• Better oral health: When a person loses teeth, they also lose bone density in their gums. This can negatively impact the overall health of your gums and mouth, which can lead to future problems.
• Improved facial features: When bone loss occurs in the jaw, it can greatly affect your facial features. Due to the fact that dental implants prevent bone loss from occurring, it also helps keep the natural look and structure of your face.

These are just a few of the benefits that come from having dental implants installed. Once you have yours, you’ll likely find many more.

The Dental Implant Process

The first step in the dental implant process is a thorough examination of your teeth. An implant dentist will perform a full exam, determine your sinus location, and if you’re a suitable candidate for dental implants. Most adults can receive dental implants, although they are not suitable for younger patients.

Once you and your dentist have determined you’re a good candidate for dental implants, the dental implant is placed. It will then begin to fuse with the jawbone, which provides it stability and allows it to function like a real tooth. This process takes several months, as the site needs to heal and fusing to the bone takes some time.

After the placement site has healed and an implant dentist has determined you’re ready for your artificial tooth, they will simply screw the tooth onto the implant. Your dentist will provide you with full after-care instructions and likely schedule a follow-up to ensure your implant isn’t suffering from any complications, which are rare.