Missing teeth not only affect your smile, a gap in your teeth can lead to increased risk of infection, bone loss, or misaligned teeth. The most effective, long-lasting, natural-looking, and easy-to-care-for solution is a dental implant restoration.
What Is a Dental Implant?
A dental implant is simply an artificial tooth replacement that closely mimics your natural teeth. A metal post, typically titanium, is surgically placed in the jaw where the tooth loss occurred. This post is like the root of your natural tooth. A prosthetic, usually a crown or bridge, is attached to the post to replace the visible part of the tooth. This replacement of the whole tooth, root and all, is what makes an implant different from other replacement options.
The benefits of an implant include better stability because it is integrated into the bone, reduction of bone loss, prevention of misalignment due to a gap in the teeth, and a look and feel so natural that you may forget you have one. An implant is easy to care for as well, since the same care you normally do for your natural teeth applies to a dental implant.
Are You a Good Candidate for a Dental Implant?
In the past, implants were best for replacing one or a just a few missing teeth. Advances have made it possible to provide whole mouth replacement through bridges that use just a few implants to create a permanent, stable solution.
You should have healthy gums and be old enough that the jaw has stopped growing, which is typically by the late teens. Ideally, you would have enough bone to support the implant. However, even if you have bone loss, in some cases bone grafts can provide a platform for a successful dental implant.
Some conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes, cancer or radiation to the jaws, alcoholism or smoking, bruxism, some medications, and untreated gum disease, are all risk factors that can be detrimental to a successful outcome. It doesn’t mean you couldn’t have a dental implant, but we would need to do a careful evaluation and an implant may need to be delayed until other treatments are done.
Dental Implants Have a High Success Rate
A dental implant is an ideal replacement option, and several studies have found the success rate is around 95% when properly cared for and good oral hygiene practices are practiced.
If you live in the Uvalde, Texas area, take the first step toward improving your smile and overall oral health by contacting us today for an appointment to find out if dental implant restoration is right for you!
