What to Consider If You’re Thinking About Dental Implants
If you’ve been putting off a major dental procedure, problems can get increasingly worse. Even if you don’t need significant dental work, like a root canal, regular visits to the dentist can prevent serious issues later in life.
Even with relatively frequent dentist visits, many Americans still experience issues with their teeth that require implants or dentures. If you’ve been thinking about dentures or implants, here are a few things to keep in mind.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants differ from dentures in that they are a much more permanent solution. The implants are safe and effective and can actually fuse with the existing jawbone. They are inserted into the gum and hold just like a regular tooth. They are very close to natural teeth in feel and appearance.
Dentures, on the other hand, are typically more cost-effective but don’t last as long and don’t always feel as natural as implants. While dentures are an effective solution for many people–especially in cases where jaw bone damage prevents the use of implants–many people today are opting for dental implants.
Use and Effectiveness of Dental Implants
One of the main perks of dental implants is that they really work like natural teeth. You can chew and eat just about anything that a regular tooth could handle. The procedure of getting a dental implant is very safe, and the process on a large scale has over a 98% success rate.
Since the implants are not attached with cream or adhesive, they’re very secure in the mouth and are easy to clean (similar to what you do already with your natural teeth). You don’t have to remove them at night or worry about losing them or worrying about them falling off at awkward times.
Conclusion: Regular Checkups are Key
As we mentioned before, dentures are still a great solution for many people, especially when there’s damage that won’t allow for the dental implant. But the first step to good-looking teeth is to do everything you can in the first place to prevent the need for dentures or implants.
While many procedures like a root canal can be the result of neglect over the years, it is still preventable (as are other types of dental work and oral surgery). Regular brushing at least twice a day will prevent most procedures down the road. But it’s good to know that if the time comes, advancements in dental technology will allow you to enjoy the same quality of life.