If one day you seriously damage or lose a tooth, all may seem lost – at first. Your dentist or other oral care professional may recommend one among several or more dental solutions to restore your smile back to normal. Today, we’ll explain why for most patients, dental implants stand above-and-beyond any other solution to restore a missing tooth.
What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a post that is fused into your jawbone, then fitted with a connector and a crown. It takes several or more months for the implant to permanently fuse with your jawbone.
After the fusing period, it may take several or more months to attach the connector, then eventually the crown. While you wait, you will have a temporary tooth or denture. You can generally eat like you normally would during the majority of this time.
What makes dental implants a great solution?
Simply put, dental implants are one of the strongest and most durable options for replacing a missing tooth. According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, but the beauty of an implant is that it’s fused into your natural bone structure and should hold permanently.
Also, implants are easily your best solution if you have pairs of missing teeth in one or more locations in your mouth. Similar procedures, such as fixed bridges, require two immediately surrounding teeth for any tooth replacement.
Why not less time-consuming procedures?
Procedures such as root canals, removable appliances and bridges may be possible solutions for a missing tooth. Yet, implants still come out on top as your most effective long-term option, even if it’s just a single tooth that’s missing.
Sure, fixed bridges could be used to help fill in a gap between two otherwise normal teeth. However, that procedure relies on the surrounding teeth being stable – or even present – which isn’t necessary with dental implants. Fixed bridges also require the two surrounding teeth to be grinded and altered to attach the bridge.
Another common option for missing or seriously damaged teeth is to leave the root intact and kill off the nerve, also known as a root canal. However – as you would be warned anyway by your dental professional – root canals don’t always work. If something goes wrong, you will need another root canal, which usually involves drilling through an existing crown and starting over from scratch. That takes quite a bit of time – time you could’ve spent getting an implant.
So, why not get it right the first time and choose an implant from the beginning? Contact us today for more information and to find out why an implant may be the best solution for your situation.
