What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are a porcelain or ceramic prosthetic that is used to fill the gap left by a previously missing or extracted tooth. A titanium cylinder is inserted directly into the jaw bone, in place of a missing root. The artificial tooth is then placed on top of the titanium cylinder to give the appearance of a natural tooth.
It is very important to keep in mind that dental implants are not a permanent, "set it and forget it"-type of solution. The long-term success of any dental implant procedure is dependent on your dedication to consistent and high-quality oral hygiene routines.
Regular dental exams, professional cleanings and good brushing and flossing habits are not just recommended to maintain your new implants, they are essential to ensure that all food debris is removed and reduce the risk of possible infection.
Why Choose Dental Implants?
Dental implants have come quite a long way in recent years. The traditional approach taken by dentists attempting to repair teeth that were beyond the scope of typical, restorative dental procedures was to (essentially) try to fix the original tooth by any means necessary.
Fortunately, there have been a number of significant advances in dental implant technology have changed the way that dentists deal with these extraordinary situations.
Dental implants can now be used on an individual basis, or even in combination to rehabilitate an entire mouth! A commonly-held misconception is that an implant is, invariably, more expensive than attempting to salvage the existing tooth. However, there are quite a number of situations where the cost to restore a severely damaged tooth is significantly more expensive than an implant procedure.
If you have any questions about how dental implants could help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted, please don’t hesitate to give our office a call!