Dental implants are artificial teeth ‘roots’ that are placed within your mouth, into the jaw, in order to hold replacement teeth or to secure a crown, bridge or full set of dentures. Dental implants can be great options if you have lost one or more of your teeth and wish to eliminate the gaps that your missing teeth have left.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Dental implants have many benefits, including those related to aesthetics, comfort and hygiene. In general, dental implants can:
- Make chewing and eating much more comfortable
- Restore your bite, without affecting your other teeth
- Help maintain your overall gum and teeth structure
- Support the strength of your jaw and bone by ensuring your chewing action is even
- Preserve the hygiene of your mouth and prevent infections that would otherwise be more likely with exposed gums and gaps between the teeth
- Be much easier to manage than dentures, which can become loose or uncomfortable when eating
- Restore your smile and make you feel more confident and positive!
How Dental Implants Work
A dental implant is inserted underneath the gum tissue and into the jaw bone via an easy, safe and relatively painless procedure (similar to a tooth extraction procedure).
Dental implants can be used to:
- Replace a single tooth
- Replace several missing teeth
- Replace all of your teeth
Once the implant is inserted, the bone will eventually grow to bond with it. It is then fixed to the artificial tooth or the crown/bridge/denture in order to permanently hold it in place.
Is the Dental Implant Safe?
The implant that is inserted into your jaw is perfectly safe. It is made from a biocompatible material (meaning it is compatible with the mouth and body) that is not in any way harmful to your bone, gums, mouth or body.
When the dental process is complete, the tooth and implant as a whole should feel, perform and function like any other natural tooth.
Am I Suited to Dental Implants?
If you feel that dental implants could be an option for you, you will need to speak to your local dentist. They will be able to advise if you have the appropriate gum health and bone structure and strength to support the implant.
Other factors or conditions that may need to be taken into consideration include:
- If any gum disease or periodontal disease is present; this will usually need to be addressed first before the implant procedure can go ahead
- If there is enough space in your mouth for the implant to be comfortably inserted
- Whether you have any other illnesses, like diabetes, heart disease etc
- How successful or long lasting the dental implant will be if you are a smoker or if you don’t keep your teeth clean and healthy
Our visiting periodontist at Somerset Dental Care is available for regular consultation and is able to place and restore dental implants from start to finish!
Book an appointment with our Narellan dentists or phone 02 4648 0909.
Don’t forget to share this via Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
