If you’ve lost a tooth to gum disease, grinding, or injury, the chances are you’re desperate to regain your beautiful smile and restore your long-lost confidence. And the best way to get your pearly whites back to their wonderful former state is through a dental implant.
Let’s take a look at the top 6 benefits to getting a dental implant, and examine how they enhance both your aesthetics and your health.
1. They’re the most effective way to fix a missing tooth
Back in the old days, losing a tooth was a life-long ordeal—there was simply no known way to fill in or hide that unsightly gap in your teeth. But then in the mid-1960s, a Swedish orthopedic surgeon named Per-Ingvar Brånemark discovered he could fuse bone tissue to titanium, uncovering a process called osseointegration.
The dentistry industry hasn’t been the same since, as the dental implant rapidly became the preferred method of rectifying a missing tooth. These days, osseointegration has evolved to incredible heights. Surgeons can now insert a life-like, 1:1-sized false tooth directly into the jawbone, leaving the casual observer with no idea an implant had ever been inserted at all.
2. The surgery isn’t a big deal at all
Most patients shudder at the thought of having a titanium screw infused into their jawbone, but the truth is the implantation process is relatively painless. During the routine procedure, surgeons use a powerful anesthetic to ensure the patient doesn’t feel excessive discomfort. Success rates are remarkably high; few patients ever experience complications, and fewer still will require any follow-up procedures.
Unlike other dental procedures such as the removal of wisdom teeth, the post-op pain from a dental implant is minimal and fades away fast. The vast majority of patients can head right back to the office afterward, typically only taking a light over-the-counter medication to manage the pain.
3. They enhance your mental and physical health
Losing a tooth can have a severe impact on both a patient’s mental and physical well-being.
Some attempt to address the issue through dentures, although these are notorious for falling out at the most inopportune times. A flimsy set of dentures can make it embarrassing to eat and challenging to live an active lifestyle. The associated stigma induces anxiety and other ailments that reduce your overall quality of life.
Dental implants, on the other hand, are permanently fused to your jaw, so there’s no chance they’ll come loose in your day-to-day life. And that freedom lets you get on with doing the things you love most without worrying about how you look. Because the crowns found in dental implants look exactly like the real thing, no one will even know you’ve had the procedure.
4. They’ll last for decades to come
Dental implants are designed to be a permanent tooth replacement, so once they’re in, you needn’t worry about having to get a new one any time soon. In fact, most implants last 25 years or more—after all, they’re built out of titanium, the same stuff NASA uses in their space shuttles.
Another big bonus of their durable nature is the implanted tooth will be immune to cavities. Unlike a real tooth, a titanium implant won’t decay over time. Nonetheless, we don’t recommend you neglect your new tooth (or teeth), as gum disease is still a serious threat.
5. They strengthen your jaw
If you think dental implants could compromise the integrity of your jaw, then guess again: the opposite is true. The osseointegration process fuses the implant into the jawbone, meaning the two separate entities become one.
As titanium is such a durable and robust metal, it helps fortify your facial structure and works to maintain the alignment of your jaw.
6. They don’t damage your other teeth
A common alternative to the dental implant is the tooth-supported bridge, which requires grinding down the adjacent teeth so the surgeon can attach a crown in-between them. As you can imagine, the process is rather painful and puts excessive strain on the adjoining teeth, eventually prompting them to shift and falter over time.
As dental implants are attached directly onto the jaw, they don’t put undue pressure on your other teeth. Quite the opposite: they protect them from shifting by supporting them in place.
As you can see, there are plenty of compelling reasons to get a dental implant to replace a missing tooth. So pick up the phone and get in touch with your preferred Brisbane prosthodontics today.
