Losing your teeth is never an appealing prospect. You’re not just losing your teeth, the loss also impacts your ability to smile, to eat, and to speak; tooth loss does more than cost you your smile, it also affects your appearance and your oral health. It’s only natural in that case to seek out replacements for your teeth to preserve your appearance and your quality of life. Luckily, dental implants offer a reliable substitute for your missing teeth. And as a substitute for your teeth, they offer as close to an identical replacement for your natural teeth as possible. Among your choices for substitute for your natural teeth, dental implants offer perhaps the most benefits and the most convenience.
When you visit a dentist in the Brampton area to assist with finding replacements for any missing teeth, you’re looking for a long-term plan for your oral health. This guide will walk you through the itinerary of getting dental implants, ensuring you’re prepared before .
1. Why Dental Implants are Your Ideal Choice
When it comes to dental restorations (and this category includes bridges and dentures) implants are the undisputed optimal option. Unlike many other dental replacements, dental implants aren’t simply set on top of the gums; they are directly installed into your jaws. The root of the implant is installed into your jawbone and fuses with it, providing a strong and stable root for the implant to function. Here are some specific benefits dental implants offer:
Improved Appearance: An implant is designed to look, feel, and function like a natural tooth. Because they fuse with your jawbone, they become permanent. This helps support the jawbone, and prevent the sunken facial look that often accompanies tooth loss.
Restored Function: Missing teeth can make chewing a difficult task. Many replacement options like dentures can also contribute to complications while you eat; this is often due to the fact that many such options aren’t directly fitted into your jaws. Implants provide a more stable tooth replacement, one that stays in place and retains durability for ease of chewing.
Engineered Durability: Other dental replacements tend to need replacing every few years; as your face’s shape changes due to tooth loss, bridges and dentures very often need to be resized and replaced to continue doing their jobs. Meanwhile, a well-maintained implant is designed for the long-term. They are specifically designed for durability, and because they help maintain the jaws’ bone structure, they don’t need to be readjusted for any physical changes.
Superior Oral Health: Unlike dental bridges, implants don’t require adjusting other teeth to install them. This leaves more of your natural teeth intact, improving your long-term oral hygiene, structural integrity, and quality of life.
2. Who Are Ideal Candidates for Dental Implants?
Dental implants are an ideal treatment, but it also pays to know for which patients they would ideally be suited. When you need dental implants installed in Brampton, your dentist and their team have certain factors they look for to ensure a smooth installation of the implants.
Adequate Bone Density: As the implants are installed into the jaws, your bone density must be sufficient to give the implant a stable anchor point.
Healthy Gums: Periodontal disease is a leading cause of oral complications. To ensure your implants can be installed with minimal difficulty, it’s crucial your gums are healthy first.
Commitment to Maintenance: Like your natural teeth, dental implants require certain maintenance to stay functional. Ensuring you have a keen grasp on oral hygiene goes a long way to being prepared for your incoming dental implants.
3. What to Expect During the Process
Like any procedure, it’s normal to feel a little nervous about installing your dental implants. And like any procedure, knowing how the process goes and what to expect plays a critical role in helping you manage expectations and keep any nervousness and stress in check. Here’s a short guide to a typical dental implant installation to prepare you for the procedure.
Phase 1: The Initial Consultation
The operation really begins, like many other medical procedures, with an initial consultation with the patient. Using 3D imaging and X-rays, your dentist maps out the exact placement of the titanium post. Every mouth is unique, so taking the time to map out a particular patient’s mouth before starting is vital for a successful outcome.
Phase 2: The Placement
Under local anesthesia or sedation, the dentist places the titanium post into the jawbone. This is a precision-guided procedure, so there’s no need to worry about the installation. Once the post is in, a temporary “cover” is placed over the implant while the site heals and the root fuses with the surrounding bone.
Phase 3: Osseointegration
Speaking of the implant fusing with the bone, this is the most critical stage of the process. Over the several months, your jawbone actually grows around the implant, a process called osseointegration. This creates a bond as strong as a natural tooth root, and provides the stability for the implant to function as it does.
Phase 4: Placing the Abutment and Crown
Once the root of the implant is secure, a small connector piece called an abutment is attached. Finally, a custom-crafted porcelain crown (this is the part of the tooth that anyone can see) is snapped into place. Once that’s done, the procedure is finished and you now have a functional tooth almost indistinguishable from a natural one.
4. Caring for Your Implants after Installation
Naturally, once the implant has been installed, it will be up to you to maintain it and ensure it performs as well as your natural tooth. And like your natural teeth, your implants do require some TLC to maintain. Here’s a short list of tips to help you look after your dental implants.
Maintain Rigorous Hygiene: Your implants function like your natural teeth, and deserve just as much respect. Brush twice a day and use specialized floss or interdental brushes to clean around the abutment.
Avoid Chewing Hard Foods: While implants are durable, that’s no reason to overtax them either. Avoid chewing on ice, hard candies, or using your teeth as tools (so no opening packages with your new smile!).
Visit Your Dentist for Routine Checkups: Your implants will need professional checkups, similar to your natural teeth. At these visits, your dentist will check the “tightness” of the fit and the health of the surrounding tissue.
Quit Smoking: Smoking takes its toll on the body, especially on your teeth and gums (and your dental implants for that matter). It restricts blood flow to the gums and significantly increases the risk of the bone failing to bond with the implant.
5. Navigating the Cost and Value
At first glance, the price of dental implants compared to dentures or bridges can seem daunting. However, rather than see that as a cost, it helps to consider it an investment instead. When you calculate the cost over a lifetime, the value of dental implants becomes clear. Because they prevent bone loss and don’t require the replacement costs associated with bridges, they are very often the most cost-effective solution to missing teeth in the long run. You aren’t just paying for a tooth; you’re paying for the freedom to live without worrying about your smile slipping or failing.
Dental implants are more than just an option for replacing missing teeth, they’re perhaps the ideal replacement. The benefits they offer for your appearance, health, and quality of life are undeniable, and if you’re weighing your options, this might be the one for you.
When you need a dental clinic to handle your dental implant installation safely, Springdale Dental Centre is here for you. We combine patient-focused care with a relaxed and comfortable environment. We don’t stop at providing comprehensive dental care, our commitment to our patients also involves providing compassionate, personalized care to ensure you get the treatments you deserve. Give us a call now at 905-458-1212, and visit our clinic in the Tim Hortons plaza at the North/East corner of Dixie and Peter Robertson Blvd.