Losing one or more of your teeth can be traumatic and worrisome. Besides the immediate impact on your smile, tooth loss can lead to the shifting of other teeth and increase the risk of decay and gum disease. Also, removing or extracting a tooth causes a rapid decline in bone mass, which may lead to other complications. Ideally, you should consider replacing the missing teeth as soon as possible, and one of the best options is dental implants. While your dentist in Cotswold, Charlotte, NC, can offer more insights, here are nine essential facts to know about dental implants.
- A dental implant is not an entire tooth: Yes, that’s correct. A dental implant is like a replacement root for the missing or removed tooth. It works as the base for an abutment, which is also called a connector that holds the replacement tooth in place. Except for your dentist, no one else can actually see an implant.
- A dental implant can last a lifetime: As long as you keep up with your oral hygiene habits, dental implants should last a lifetime. These posts are made of titanium and placed inside the jawbone, and with time, they become a part of your mouth.
- It can take time to get replacement teeth: Unlike dentures or bridges, which can be ordered from a lab and given to the patient in less than three weeks, getting restoration with dental implants can take time. Once the implants are surgically placed, it can take weeks, often as long as 12 weeks or more, for the surgery site to heal.
- Getting dental implants is more than just about aesthetics: While restoring your smile could be your primary concern, you can also achieve other goals with dental implants. Implants can prevent bone loss after extractions, and the restorations being fixed in place help restore chewing and speech functions.
- Age is not a constraint for dental implants: That’s correct. Patients as old as 80 and as young as 18 have benefitted from implants, and the outcomes are excellent. Of course, your doctor will have to check your health history, underlying medical conditions, and other details before they decide whether this is the right treatment for you.
- You may need bone grafting; If you choose to get dental implants immediately after losing your natural teeth, you don’t have to bother about grafting. However, when significant time has passed, your dentist may need to do a bone graft to ensure the jawbone and gums are strong enough to hold the implants.
- Getting dental implants is not painful: Much like root canal therapy and extractions, dentists complete dental implant surgery under local anesthesia. You will not feel any pain, although you can discuss IV sedation with your dentist to relax better. There might be some pain after the anesthesia effects wear off, for which you can take pain relievers as suggested.
- There are many restoration options: Once the jawbone has healed and implants are secure in place, your dentist will discuss the restoration choices, which include dentures, crowns, and dental bridges. Each has pros and cons, but the results are often awesome. Your implant-supported dentures will not move around or slip from position like regular dentures.
- You can replace all teeth with just four implants: With advancements in dental care, dentists can now replace all missing teeth of a patient with two implants each on both jaws. The posts are placed on extreme ends to keep an entire set of dentures in place.
If you have concerns or are worried about the risks of dental implants, talk to your dentist in Cotswold today to know more.
