Four thousand years ago in ancient China, carefully crafted bamboo pegs were used to replace missing teeth. Dental technology has come a long way since then. Just a few months ago, a robotic dentist in China successfully performed dental implant surgery on a patient. What hasn’t changed, however, is the sentiment that our permanent teeth are important, and losing them can be painful in more ways than one.
If you’ve recently lost teeth, you probably know that feeling. Maybe you’ve begun to feel self-conscious about your smile, and reluctant to eat the foods you want. Lucky for you, we’ve moved far beyond traditional replacement options such as dentures (or bamboo pegs), and treatments like dental implants are incredibly effective.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a series of surgical components that interface with your jaw to replace missing teeth. They are composed of two main components: the titanium implant, and the crown. When the titanium implant is inserted into the jaw bone and allowed to heal, it undergoes the process known as osseointegration, in which bone and tissue fuse with the implant. This process is the basis of modern dental implants, and is what makes them so successful. When the implant has settled, a custom-designed crown made from medical grade ceramic is fit to the implant.
How Can Dental Implants Change Your Life?
The benefits of dental implants are astounding. Unlike traditional dentures, dental implants function exactly like normal teeth. What this means is they are fully secure and will not slip or fall out when speaking, they look like natural teeth, and they require no maintenance beyond your normal oral hygiene routine.
Beyond the obvious, dental implants allow you to regain something that was lost. If you’ve been embarrassed by your missing teeth and haven’t been eating the foods you enjoy, dental implants allow you to return to life before tooth loss. Where a removable denture is a constant reminder of the tooth or teeth you’ve lost, dental implants are so much like natural teeth that it’s almost as if you’ve never lost them.
Are They Right For Me?
Dental implants are compatible with almost everyone. They only requirements for dental implants are being an adult, having lost one or more teeth, and being healthy enough for the oral surgery.
The most successful patients are often non-smokers, or those with good bone mass, but the best way to determine if dental implants are right for you is scheduling an appointment. When cared for properly, dental implants can last a lifetime. They’ve also shown to be 98 percent successful. If you’ve been thinking about dental implants, the time to start the process is today.
The dental implant process actually begins with just a phone call. Please call (858) 271-1010 today for an appointment with implant dentist Dr. Ramin Goshtasbi at Oasis Dental Arts. He can perform a comprehensive exam and recommend dental implants if they are right for you.