Dental implants are pretty much the best substitute for real teeth. If you’ve lost a tooth and now have a gap, an implant can make it seem like you never lost the tooth to begin with. In fact, the crowns used in the implants to mimic teeth look natural, and have been providing people with the strongest alternative for missing teeth for over three decades.
That’s a lot different than dentures or just leaving the gap alone. Implants are also the best choice for preventing some of the worse side effects of losing teeth. The one problem is that not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants. Are you?
What Requirements Must You Meet?
To be a good candidate for dental implants, you need to have a jaw that is in good shape with adequate, strong bone to hold the implant. Sometimes people have bone loss that makes the jaw not substantial enough to hold the implant. The jaws aren’t particularly fragile, but they sometimes don’t have enough bone to keep the implant secure.
You also have to be good at caring for your teeth and gums because you’ll still need to take care of your gums once you get the implant, and you don’t want food getting trapped under the crown. Finally, you have to be able to handle the surgery. There are certain health conditions that can make you not a good candidate, such as diabetes.
Why Would Implants Be Better Than Dentures?
If you’re a good candidate but aren’t sure you want to move on from dentures, think of the problems you’ve had with dentures already. You have to clean them, they can fall out, they can irritate your gums, and you have to get them relined every few years. You can also lose them, which is frustrating given that they aren’t the cheapest dental appliance out there.
What Options Do You Have if You Want Implants?
According to NCBI, modern dental implants have been used for more than 30 years and offer the most natural alternative for missing teeth. If you’re a good candidate for dental implants and want to know more about them, you can talk to your dentist at Lowell Dental Arts today. Ask about options ranging from the traditional dental implants that take two sessions to fully install, to same-day implants, to all-on-4 implants if you have a series of missing teeth. Your dentist can give you details about all these options.
