Is a Dental Implant Right for You?

Is A Dental Implant Right?Losing a tooth can feel traumatic. Unfortunately, the aftermath can often be worse. It’s difficult to adjust to speaking and chewing comfortably, when your smile is incomplete. Prosthetic dentistry means you don’t have to settle for that incomplete smile, though. You can bounce back from your tooth loss and return to the confidence you felt with a complete smile! Dental implants have become one of the most recommended forms of prosthetic dentistry, but before you schedule one, you’ll need to determine if they’re ideal for you.

What was the cause of the tooth loss?

In order to be a good candidate for a dental implant, you need to be in good oral health. For instance, if you lost your tooth due to gum disease, restorative treatment would be needed first to help repair the damage done to your gums and make sure they’re able to secure your remaining teeth, much less a prosthetic.

Since the titanium post used for a dental implant must be surgically inserted, the dentist must assess whether your smile will be able to support it.

What are your priorities in seeking treatment?

If your primary concern is esthetic, you may or may not feel a dental implant is worth the extra money and time required for treatment. That said, if you want the most stable and permanent form of smile completion currently available, a dental implant is likely your best option.

Are you in a hurry?

To create a dental implant, the dentist first surgically inserts a post. Then a process called osseointegration takes place, in which the soft gum tissue grows around the post, helping to further anchor it. This is a somewhat lengthy process, making implants the longest form of prosthetic dentistry to complete, but also the most permanent.