Are Dental Implants Right For You?

Posted on: 27 April 2016

If you recently lost a tooth, then you will need to find a way to get a replacement. Implants, bridges, and dentures are all viable options, but each is very unique. One option might be perfect for your situation, while another might be very awkward, expensive, or just uncomfortable. To help you decide which you need, here are some of the facts on implants.

What are dental implants?

In essence, a dental implant is a complete replacement of a missing tooth. Implants have synthetic roots and are virtually indistinguishable from pristine teeth to an observer, meaning that they are the closest that you can get to fully replacing a missing tooth.

How does the installation process work?

There are three main components of implants: the implant, the abutment, and the crown.

  • The implant itself is a screw that is added first. Some implants are attached to your jawbone, while others are shallower and attached in the flesh. The second case is common in situations where the jawbone is too weak to support an implant.

  • The abutment is then attached to the top of the implant after the flesh has been allowed to heal. The purpose of the abutment is to act an as interface between the implant and the crown.

  • Finally, after another healing period, the crown is installed. The crown is the only part that looks like a real tooth and will be used for all of your chewing and speaking.

How are dental implants better than bridges?

Bridges are another option, but they are much more limited in where they can be placed. Bridges generally require healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth in order to act as anchors. Those teeth need to be strong enough to support the bridge, so if they are weak and lacking in enamel, then bridges might not be viable. To contrast, implants can be installed regardless of the condition of the adjacent teeth.

How are dental implants better than dentures?

Dentures need to be removed from your mouth, meaning that your mouth will never get a chance to really get used to them. You will always need to think about your dentures, whereas implants are much less intrusive. With an implant, you won't even remember that you are missing a tooth after a few months, whereas with dentures, you will be reminded of your missing teeth on a daily basis..

While dental implants are useful for most adult patients, children need different tooth replacement options. For more information about children's dentistry, contact a clinic that specializes in working with kids.

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About Marcel and the Dentist

Hi, my name is Marcel. Welcome to my site! I started it to help others learn about children's dentistry. Most of us don't remember dentist trips from our early childhood. Maybe we didn't even really care about our teeth until we started losing baby teeth. In my case, I became interested in children's dentistry as a young father. When my kids were young, I was a student, and our insurance did not cover visits to the dentist. Although my wife and I tried to teach our kids good hygiene on our own, it was difficult. When we we finally able to take them to the dentist, my little girls were scared and didn't know what was going on. Luckily, they appreciate the dentist now that they are older, but their first experiences helped teach me more about the importance of children's dentistry. Hopefully you can learn from my experiences!

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