A dental implant is in essence, a titanium tooth that is placed in the jaw to replace
a single or multiple teeth that have been lost. While this treatment has become
quiet popular in recent years, dental implants have been used in treatment for over
50 years! The success rates of implants are impressively high (95-98% successful
5-10 years out and there after, slightly lower), which makes them an excellent choice
of treatment.
Benefits of Dental Implants
There are numerous benefits to dental implants over conventional replacements or
procedures, including:
Dental implants help preserve your jaw bone
The human jaw bone maintains its integrity through proper stimulation from the roots
of the teeth or dental implants. When a tooth is missing that portion of the jaw
bone atrophies and wastes away. This is why denture wearers may have a “sunken”
appearance.
Dental implants help save the adjacent teeth
Traditional replacements like bridges, or partials permanently damage the teeth
adjacent to the missing tooth space. Dental implants are independent of the neighboring
teeth and will not damage your natural look.
Dental implants are a lifetime restoration
Properly placed and maintained dental implants may last you a lifetime. Crowns,
bridges, and partials only have an average lifespan of 5 to 10 years.
Dental implants feel natural
Dental implants feel and function just like your own teeth. There are no restrictions
on the types of food you can eat. With dental implants, many find that they can
return to eating the kinds of foods they've missed for years.
Dental implants can give you an internal “facelift”
Because dental implants restore the health and the density of your jaw bones, and
because your facial muscles can be used properly again most patients notice a visible
tightening of their face, and can regain your youthful appearance.
When you come in for your consultation at Schlueter Periodontics and Implants, we
will assess if you are a candidate for an implant/implants and if that is the most
appropriate treatment for you. If there is a more suitable option to restore the
area we will discuss these with you along with all of your options.
The ideal candidate for implant treatment is one who is in good oral and general
health. Has adequate bone support to place them and has healthy gum tissues (free
of periodontal disease). All of this will be reviewed by the doctor.
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