Why the need for Dental Implants?
Despite continuous advancements in dental technology and improvements in oral health, millions of Americans still struggle with tooth loss. This is typically the result of tooth decay, periodontal disease, or injury. For many years, bridges and dentures were the only treatment options for people suffering from tooth loss. Not anymore.
Today, oral surgeons can offer a different solution in the form of Dental Implants. Implants look, feel, and function like your natural teeth, allowing you to eat, smile and communicate as confidently as you would with your natural teeth.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are artificial tooth “roots” that are placed into the jaw to help hold the replacement teeth in place. The implants themselves are small titanium posts that are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. The posts act as anchors and provide a strong foundation for the replacement teeth, which are made to match your natural teeth.
What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?
Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
Improved speech. Often, a patient with dentures will experience gradual movement and poor fit of the replacement teeth over time causing disrupted or difficulty with speech. Because Dental Implants are permanently placed, they allow you to speak without the worry that the teeth might slip.
Improved comfort and convenience. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures which don’t always fit identically to your jawline. They eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.
Easier eating. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
Improved self-esteem. If you’ve struggled with tooth loss, you can imagine how having a full set of natural looking and feeling teeth can improve your quality of life. Dental Implants can restore your smile and renew your self-confidence in personal, work and social environments.
Improved oral health. Dental implants don’t require removal of tooth structure to adjacent teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, making it easy to maintain optimal oral hygiene.
Durability. Implants are very durable and with regular dental hygiene maintenance, many implants last a lifetime with no needs to repair or replace.
Who is a Good Candidate for Implants?
In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for a dental implant.
Northstar Family Dental’s Certified Oral Surgeon, Dr. Julie Park, will meet with you individually to understand your personal needs and confirm that implants are an ideal solution for you.
Dr. Park will work closely with you and your Northstar Family Dental general dentist to develop an individualized treatment plan. This team approach; partnering you with professionals who are specially trained and experienced in oral surgery and restorative dentistry will ensure a comfortable and streamlined experience, guaranteeing the best possible outcome.
Are Dental Implants Painful?
The majority of dental implant patients report that there is very little discomfort involved in the procedure. If necessary, oral and IV sedation are available for added comfort and reduced anxiety. However, most patients describe the amount of pain experienced to be less than that of a tooth extraction.
What Type of Success Can Be Expected from a Dental Implant?
As with any surgical procedure results may vary from patient to patient. However, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%. With proper care, implants can last a lifetime.
If you are considering implants…
call our dental office in Westerville at 614-682-6213 or our Lewis Center office at 740-739-4240.
Dr. Julie Park, DMD
Contributing editor