If you have missing teeth, complications such as changes in speech, chewing patterns, and bone loss can occur. Your self-esteem can also take a hit. To avoid these, you may want to consider getting dental implants. These mimic a real tooth in function and appearance.
You may have questions such as ‘how do dental implants look’? A dental implant is a screw-like permanent device that is implanted into your jawbone. A crown is attached to this device using an abutment. This crown is custom-made to match the color and appearance of the tooth it is replacing.
Dental implant medication includes analgesics and antibiotics, and your prosthodontist will advise you on which medication to take before and after the procedure.
You may wonder what living with dental implants is like. You’ll need to take soft foods for a few days after the surgery. Pretty soon, you’ll feel normal as the implant looks and feels like a real tooth, and your confidence levels will also increase.
Dentures are another option for replacing missing teeth. Your dentist should also discuss oral surgery for dentures. If you’re thinking of replacing your missing teeth, look into all the options available and go for the one that your dentist recommends.
There are many myths surrounding dental implants that may prevent people from getting much needed cosmetic dental treatment. Let’s debunk a few of them:
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The Myth: Getting dental implants takes a long time.
The Facts: This depends on the procedure and the nature of your surgery, as well as your cosmetic dental office. During your first surgery, implants are placed inside the bone sockets of missing teeth. The bone heals around the implants and anchors them over the next 6-12 weeks, at which point the crown, denture or other prosthetic is placed on top. During this time, patients wear temporary dentures, snap-on teeth or bridges to hide the removed tooth while their dentist creates their permanent prosthetic.
The procedures themselves are very quick, and can actually take as little as an hour. There are even quicker options, like dental mini implants, that can be installed and mounted with a prosthetic in a single one-hour dental appointment.
The Myth: Dental implants are too expensive
The Facts: Since many insurance providers consider cosmetic dental surgeries elective procedures, they often won’t cover implants, so you’ll end up with a high up-front cost. Again, this can change on a case-by-case basis. Patients who lost their teeth in accidents may be able to cover the cost with a personal injury claim, and patients losing teeth from a medical issue like bone loss can argue to cover implantation with their medical insurance. Implants can also be more cost effective than other options in the long term, since they have a success rate of 98% and require less maintenance and replacement.
The Myth: Implant placement is very painful
The Facts: Like all oral surgery, some pain is involved, though the amount differs from patient to patient, and most describe it as no more painful than an ordinary tooth extraction. Local anesthesia is often enough for simple implant procedures, though IV sedation may be better for nervous patients. Over-the-counter medications are usually sufficient to deal with any pain afterward.
The Myth: Implants cause headaches and migraines
The Facts: There’s no clinical evidence that the titanium in implants cause chronic migraines and headaches. In some rare cases, surgical complications like infection, nerve damage, or sinus cavity damage can create pain in the head or face. There’s also a high likelihood that preexisting dental issues can account for headaches suffered by implant recipients.
Talk to your dentist if you still have questions about implants! Helpful research also found here.
