Looking in to getting Dental Implants? Read this!
Having missing or damaged teeth can take a significant toll on your confidence. Poorly fitting dentures can also negatively impact speech, as this causes teeth to slip within the mouth, resulting in slurring or mumbling. Not to mention other functional qualities such as biting and chewing. If you have unfortunately lost one or multiple teeth or suffer from loosely fitting dentures, dental implants may be the long-term, durable and convenient solution you have been searching for.
Medical implications of tooth damage and loss
In addition to knocking your confidence there are several, potentially detrimental, medical consequences that arise from tooth or bone loss in the mouth. One of the most common being the over growth of opposing teeth (over eruption) which tilts the surrounding teeth into the empty space of the absent tooth, resulting in not only a crooked appearance but also imbalanced functioning of the mouth causing a bite force overload and imposing stress on the remaining healthy teeth. It is a known fact that dental implants are the only procedure that can alleviate all of these complications.
The procedure
Dental implants come in the form of a titanium screw and are carefully embedded directly into the jawbone with the intention to replace the root of the absent tooth. After this is fitted, the bone that surrounds the implant gradually fuses to the implemented metal post, holding it in place just as firmly as the roots of natural, healthy teeth would. False teeth are then fitted on top of the implant (the abutment) and come in the form of crowns or dentures, specifically tailored to your personal colour, shape and size to achieve your desired aesthetic and functional properties, blending seamlessly with your natural existing teeth. In many cases, rather than having one or more individual crowns, many patients have attachments on their implant to create a removable denture, which can be removed and cleaned easily. It’s also worth noting that with effective oral care, these implants can last a lifetime.
Is it a painful procedure?
With a 98% success rate, the procedure has an extremely time effective nature, with a fitting time of just twenty minutes per implant, which is especially impressive considering their long-term, future-proof application and guarantee unlike traditional dentistry methods. Worried about experiencing pain or discomfort? Your dentist will use either a local anesthetic or intravenous sedatation to simultaneously calm any nerves and ensure that you are comfortable during the procedure. In terms of recovery, patients report mild soreness of the mouth for a short period of time that can easily be treated with over the coulter pain medications.
How much does it cost…am I covered?
There are possibilities you may qualify for coverage under your current medical plan, depending on the type of insurance plan you are on and your cause of tooth damage/loss. Any questions you have regarding this should be formed in detail and discussed with both your insurance provider and dentist. The average cost at a reputable dental specialist of a complete dental implant (including implant, abutment and crown) in the United States is usually between $3,000 to $4,500 per tooth.
So, what are you waiting for? Everyone deserves a great, permanent smile, so why not improve your confidence and self-esteem....you won’t regret it?