Considering Dental Implants? Information You Should Know To Help You Decide
If you have a lot of damaged teeth and your dentist has recommended that you replace them, you have many options. One option is to get dentures, but one thing you should consider is dental implants. Below is information on what these are, and the benefits of choosing these over dentures.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are an extensive medical procedure, and a type of anesthesia will be used to help you feel better and to help with the pain. Your doctor can tell you what type they suggest.
The dental implant procedure can take many months to complete if you are replacing a lot of missing teeth or all the teeth in your mouth. The doctor will not do a full replacement in one visit but will instead ask you to come back several times to complete the implants.
The first stage of dental implants is attaching the implant to your jawbone. The implant is made of titanium because this material is strong and durable. The dentist first takes X-rays to ensure you have a healthy jawbone. The implant is then covered over the gum tissue. You have to wait for your implant to fuse with your jawbone, which can take a few months. If you do not have enough jawbone, the dentist can use a procedure to rebuild the jawbone so you can get dental implants.
Once the implant is fused to your jawbone, the dentist next attaches the posts. They attach a post to each implant. You then have to wait for your gum tissue to attach to the posts and wrap around them. After this, the dentist then attaches the implant to the post. The artificial tooth is customized in a lab, so it looks exactly like the replacement tooth. This way it fits perfectly into your mouth. The implant is also the same color as your other teeth, so it is not noticed.
Benefits of Dental Implants
There are many benefits to choosing dental implants over dentures. The implants cannot be removed because they work like your regular teeth. To take care of the implants, you brush and floss them like you do your natural teeth. With dentures, you have to remove them each night to clean them.
You can eat whatever you want once you have recovered from dental implant surgery. You do not have to worry about the implants falling out because they are fused to the bone and cannot fall out. Dental implants may also last you for your lifetime in many cases. Your dentist can give you much more information about this.
Your dentist can explain the dental implant procedure to you in much more detail. Contact a local dental service, such as Lighthouse Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, to learn more.