Dental Implants – What are they and when do you need them?
Dental Implants are, in essence, teeth replacements.
Generally speaking, if you’ve lost one or more teeth as the result of an injury or any periodontal disease, you might be in need of these implants.
Compared to partial dentures, these implanted teeth offer lasting results and are permanently screwed to your jaw. You won’t have to worry about removing them before going to bed every night. The procedure is safe, painless and can be tailor-made to suit the needs of any patient.
What Are the Procedures Involved?
Think of dental implants as personalized dental solutions. Depending upon the number of missing teeth, the presence or absence of any diseases (such as diabetes and cirrhosis), and the type of implant chosen, you can go for:
- Single Tooth Replacement: One implant and a crown can provide replacement for a single missing tooth.
- Multiple Teeth Replacement: If you’re missing more than one tooth (or all of them), you can opt for an implant-supported full bridge or a full denture to get a new set of shiny white teeth.
- Sinus Augmentation: If you’re missing teeth in your upper jaw, new teeth can be difficult to implant. This is primarily due to the insufficient bone quantity in the upper jaw and its closeness to the sinus track. Through this augmentation, however, you can easily raise your sinus floor and get the best results on your implants.
- Ridge Modification: There may be certain deformities in your upper or lower jaw that can leave you with insufficient bone to place implants. Ridge modification involves removing the deformities and correcting the bone insufficiency level by adding bone or a bone substitute to your jaw. It’s one of the most advanced dental treatments and produces the best results.
What Does Teeth Loss Lead to?
If you opt for partial dentures or do nothing at all for teeth loss, you’re likely to suffer from bone loss as well. Just like all the other organs and body parts, your bones need stimulation to stay healthy and function well. In most cases, your teeth provide that stimulus to your jaw bone and the alveolar bone.
As an adult, when you lose teeth, the lack of stimulation leads to loss of alveolar bone. Dental implants, in such cases, provide support to your jaw bone and prevent bone loss, while retaining your smile and healthy dental functions.
What Do You Get from Implants?
This treatment provides you with the following benefits:
- Healthy and (Almost) Natural Teeth: It restores all your lost teeth and brings back that sparkling smile on your face. They’re as natural as they can get.
- All-purpose: Dental implants are not just for showing off. They provide all the functions of normal teeth. They help you smile, speak, chew and even grit in unpleasant situations!
- No Diseases: Cavities and other dental diseases do not occur while using implants. However, make sure you consult your dentist on a regular basis for cleaning checkups, advices and tips.
- Long-term Results: Compared to other treatments, this treatment provides you with lasting results and saves you from bone loss.
So if you’re living in Burlington, Ontario or any of its neighboring areas (such as Oakville, Milton or Hamilton), then do pay your friendly dentists a visit and learn more on the benefits of dental implants!