Benefits of Dental Implants

If you’ve lost one or more teeth, dental implants are the best tooth replacement option. Implants are better than dentures or dental bridges because they:

• Are fully secure–they won’t slip or fall out
• Look like natural teeth
• Function like natural teeth–eat all your favorite foods
• Maintain bone and gum health
• Support themselves–no extra stress on neighboring teeth
• Require no special maintenance
• Can last for a lifetime
• Can help most people

Dentures aren’t secure in your mouth. They rest on your gums and are held in place just by suction. They can slip in your mouth or even come out if you talk loudly, laugh suddenly, or sneeze.

Dental implants look the most like natural teeth because they are secured in the jawbone like natural teeth. They’re never out of place and can have natural gums growing up around them.

And because implants are fastened in the jawbone–similar to natural teeth–they can function just like natural teeth. Even if you’ve lost all your teeth, you can regain 90% of the bite force you had with natural teeth.

Being fastened in the jawbone doesn’t just help the implants, it helps the jawbone. With dentures and even dental bridges, the jaw and gums can collapse, causing the face to shrink or creating unattractive holes in your smile. But dental implants stimulate the jawbone so it remains healthy and won’t shrink.

Partial dentures and dental bridges rely on your natural teeth for support. This can damage your natural teeth and sometimes lead them to be lost as well. But dental implants support themselves and don’t affect your natural teeth.

How Long Do Dental Implants Last?

Dental implants are also like natural teeth in that they have the potential to last for a lifetime when properly cared for. Studies show that more than 90% of implants last up to 20 years. One 30-year study of dental implants had a 100% survival rate. And individual cases of dental implants have lasted even longer. The first person to get implants had them for more than 40 years before he passed away. The second person to get dental implants has had them for 50 years!

What is proper care for dental implants? It’s the same as for natural teeth: just brush, floss, and make your regular dental appointments. If you had gum disease or have other risk factors, we may recommend more frequent dental exams.

Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?

Another benefit of dental implants is that most people are candidates for them. The only strict requirement for dental implants are you must:

• Be an adult
• Have lost one or more teeth (or need to have them extracted)
• Be Healthy enough for surgery

There are other characteristics for an ideal patient, such as being a never-smoker, having good oral health, and having good bone mass. But even if you don’t have these characteristics, you can still get implants, though your risk will be modified and you may require extra procedures.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are tooth replacement restorations. They are made up of two or more parts: the artificial root, the dental crown or bridge, and sometimes special connectors known as abutments.

Technically, the only part that’s the dental implant is the artificial root. This is typically made of titanium, a strong, light metal that is highly biocompatible. Your bone can attach to it.

The dental crown is made up of the same material as other dental crowns: typically an advanced ceramic that is both natural in appearance and very strong.

The abutment can be made of either titanium or ceramic.

The Dental Implant Procedure

The dental implant procedure is highly customized. It is tailored to your situation, so it may differ from this general overview.

Often, dental implant surgery begins with the extraction of your natural tooth. When the tooth is removed, the implant can go right into that same spot, along with some filler material that stimulates bone growth. If the implant is stable enough, we can even place a dental crown or bridge on top of the implant right away. You will leave our office with the same number of teeth that you came in with and never have a gap in your smile.

Other times, we may not be able to put a crown on top of your implant right away. We may put a healing cap on the implant or bury the implant under the gum to heal. In all cases, there are cosmetic dentistry options that mean you can have a full smile while your implant is healing.

Over the next few months, your implant will bond with your natural bone. This is the most crucial point for your dental implants–about 60% of all implant failures occur in the first year. It’s important that you follow care instructions precisely during this time.

Once your implants are healed, we will put permanent restorations on them. All that’s left then is maintenance.

Start Your Implant Process Today

The 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.