Dental implants are permanent tooth replacements. They hold a crown, bridge or denture just like roots hold natural teeth in place. Many dentists consider implants to be one of the greatest advancements in dentistry since they truly are “the next best thing to your natural teeth.” Unlike a traditional plate or bridge, dental implants are actually anchored to your jaw. After integration with the jawbone, the crown, bridge or denture is then attached to the implants. This provides much greater stability for more effective eating, speaking and smiling!
People of all ages are discovering how they can improve their lives with dental implants. No more messy, ineffective adhesives for denture wearers. With dental implants, denture wearers report eating foods that they have not had in years! Say goodbye to slipping partials and uncomfortable dentures. Implants allow for a secure solid fit of the more comfortable palate less denture.
Implants can even help a patient missing just one tooth. In the past, the two adjacent healthy teeth had to be ground down and “sacrificed” to build a three-unit bridge to replace the single missing tooth. Today, a single implant can often be placed in between the teeth and a crown can be fabricated without affecting the healthy teeth.
The Advantages of Dental Implants
Better Dentures: if you wear conventional dentures, you know how limiting they can be. Slipping, avoiding all but the easiest foods to eat and messy adhesives. Implants can solve all these problems for denture wearers. In fact, most enthusiastic implant patients are people who had conventional dentures for many years prior to their implants.
Stable Bridges: historically, one of the biggest challenges to general dentists was when a patient lost their back two or three teeth on one side. Without a back tooth to attach a bridge to, dentists were forced to design partial dentures or “removable flippers” for patients to use. These functioned more for cosmetic purposes than for anything else. Dental implants can provide solid anchors for a bridge of any size.
Healthy Teeth: dental implants often allow dentists to provide single crowns where a three-unit bridge would have been the only option in the past. To make the three-unit bridge, the two healthy teeth are ground down to make abutments for attaching the bridge. With an implant, a crown is placed on top of the implant’s post and the two healthy teeth remain untouched.
So if you are a candidate for dental implants, don’t put off getting a complete professional evaluation any longer. Not everyone is a viable candidate for dental implants. A comprehensive evaluation with your general dentist and your implant surgeon will allow you to understand all of your treatment options and choose a dental solution for improving your life.
The costs associated with dental implants can only be estimated once you have gone through a complete evaluation. Dental Implant costs start at $800 for a single tooth and go as high as $40,000 or more for a complete dental makeover. Financing is available.
As with any cosmetic procedure, contact us for a doctor referral.
