Built for Life: How Dental Implants Can Last a Lifetime

False teeth and dentures are not ideal. Luckily, cosmetic dental treatments have greatly advanced over the years, which means that missing teeth can now be permanently replaced. Enter dental implants.

Dental implants are designed to permanently replace lost teeth. Made out of artificial titanium with an attached porcelain crown, implants have skyrocketed in popularity simply because of their durability and likeness to natural teeth. Find out how, and discover the wonders that dental implants can do to restore and improve your quality of life.

Why Dental Implants Beat Everything Else

Dental implants really are built for life, and that’s because they don’t need to be refitted, nor do they depend on the original tooth structure, as opposed to other dental restorations. For instance, crowns and bridges can fail if the tooth itself shows signs of decay. Dentures require repeated refitting or eventual replacement as the bite shifts, or in the case of extreme decay, bone loss causes changes in the shape of the jaw.

With dental implants, you won’t encounter the same fate; rather, this option actually fully replaces missing teeth instead of merely fitting false teeth that need to be constantly adjusted or using coverings like crowns and bridges that only provide partial support. This is because dental implants penetrate the gums and jaw bone in order to be placed and lined up along with natural teeth, essentially rooting them in place firmly and securely — just like real teeth.

For dental implants in Newmarket to succeed, however, your dentist will have to examine your teeth, gums, and jawbone to check the bone density and ensure that you are a good candidate for the procedure. In cases wherein the bone density in the jaw is low as a result of extensive trauma, infections, or diseases, a minimally invasive bone graft may be required to restore the health of the jawbone and provide optimal support for a dental implant to last.

What Dental Implants Can Do

Without a doubt, dental implants have proven to greatly improve the quality of life of countless people who have had their missing teeth replaced with this permanent solution. Dental implants feel just like natural teeth and provide a uniform appearance. With a full set of pearly whites, you’ll definitely look and feel better, enjoying renewed self-esteem and confidence.

More than their aesthetic value, dental implants also help restore basic oral functions such as eating and speaking. This is made possible by your dentist securing the implants in your jaw using titanium posts, ensuring that they don’t come loose and fall off. Unlike bridges that are anchored to adjacent healthy teeth for support, implants are secured in the jaw itself, meaning they won’t compromise the strength and structural integrity of otherwise healthy teeth.

The Lasting Impact of Good Oral Health Habits

Just like your natural teeth, your dental implants require the same care to last and remain functional for as long as possible. Without proper oral hygiene and regular dental checkups, implants can become damaged, putting you right back where you started — with missing teeth.

The good news is, dental implants don’t require extensive and expensive care; all you need to do is maintain them like you would your real teeth. This means brushing and flossing regularly, follow-up checkups post-surgery, and routine checkups after that.

Just like your natural teeth, it’s also important to follow good lifestyle habits, such as avoiding smoking. Like pre-existing gum disease, smoking can make implants more likely to fail, not to mention the slew of oral and respiratory complications that may arise. Once your implants are finally in place, think twice before lighting up again, or just work to kick the habit altogether and enjoy a longer-lasting full set of teeth. With proper care, implants can last for 25 years or more, making them a great investment for your oral health.

How to Make Your Dental Implants Last

There are a few extra steps you need to take to ensure that your implants do remain permanent. For example, a lot of people bite down or chew on extremely hard objects like the tip of their pen or pencils when they are deep in thought or stressed, without even realizing it. Some people also depend on their teeth for seemingly practical uses, such as opening bottles and packages (yikes!).

These bad habits can have serious implications on the strength and longevity of your dental implant, so make sure to be more conscious of how you treat your teeth. Even if a few instances won’t cause the implant to fail, the constant wear and tear can cause them to deteriorate substantially quicker.

Before you even elect to undergo dental implant surgery, it’s important that you trust only a professionally-trained dentist to perform the procedure. The skill level and experience of your dentist can make a huge difference in the success of your implants, so make sure to do your research and learn about their cases and success rate before deciding.

An expertly trained dentist knows how to properly evaluate the progress of osseointegration and whether the jawbone has completely absorbed the implant, allowing them to correctly measure the success of the procedure and ensure correct functional placement of the dental implant.

For more information about dental implants, or to book your FREE consultation, call 416-IMPLANT or contact us here.