Dental implants can be an excellent investment toward a more confident smile. They can recover and replace damaged or missing teeth while making them look more natural and healthy.
Think dental implants might be right for you? Read these 7 things you probably don’t know about dental implants.
7 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Dental Implants
1. Dental Implants Look Like Natural Teeth
Dental implants are designed specifically for you and your smile. They are customized to your teeth’s coloring, shape, and size to look and feel like your natural tooth.
The dental implant procedure involves permanently rooting the implant in your jawbone, allowing them to function as your natural teeth do. With artificial teeth, you can eat and talk as you normally would.
2. They Protect Your Existing Teeth
Having gaps from a missing tooth can negatively impact your remaining teeth. Left alone, other teeth will shift, which can cause swollen gums and jaw pain. Holes from missing teeth can also cause an infection that can spread to other healthy teeth.
Dental implants are not just for cosmetic dentistry. They both restore your smile and protect your dental health, preventing the negative effects from missing teeth.
3. Dental Implants Can’t Get Cavities
Dental implants are made from synthetic materials. This means that you can’t get cavities from your artificial teeth. However, you’ll still need to brush any artificial teeth, as you would for your natural teeth.
4. Anyone Can Get a Dental Implant
Missing teeth, tooth damage, infection, and decay can happen to anyone, at any age. Dental implants are the most effective way to correct these issues.
A permanent solution is the ideal way to prevent any further damage or pain. Discuss with your dentist to see if dental implants can help improve your oral health.
5. You Don’t Need to Replace Healthy Teeth
A common misconception of dental implants is that they need to replace all of your teeth. This might be the case for patients with mostly damaged or missing teeth. However, a majority of patients only require one or a few dental implants.
There’s no need to replace your healthy teeth. Tooth replacement is only necessary for any severely damaged or missing teeth. Your healthy teeth are free to stay!
6. Dental Implants Stabilize Your Jawbone
Losing teeth can be damaging to your jawbone. Without the need to support a tooth, the bone underneath can start to disappear. Implanting an artificial tooth can prevent this bone loss from occurring.
The loss of a healthy jawbone can also impact your remaining teeth. They can start to move and shift because of the diminishing stability in the jawbone. Dental implants offer stability, preventing any issues to your remaining teeth from structural bone damage.
7. Dental Implants are Super Easy to Take Care of
Adding a dental implant is a correction to your natural teeth. You can treat them as you would your normal smile, making them super easy to take care of. Outside of fixing any damage the artificial tooth might sustain, there’s no additional maintenance needed.
Brushing is the only regular maintenance you’ll need to take care of your artificial tooth. But like with your natural teeth, if you chip or break an implant you might need to repair or replace it.
Final Thoughts
Dental implants can improve the appearance and functionality of your smile. They can also help prevent damage and pain by protecting your dental health.
And, they’re cheaper than you might think. Schedule an appointment with East Valley Dental Professionals to see if dental implants might be right for you. Call us at 480-838-3033.