Missing teeth can make you feel self-conscious and compromise your oral health. With an incomplete smile, remaining teeth may shift, other teeth may be lost, and your diet may suffer. Dental implants can restore the health and appearance of your smile. Designed to look and function like your real teeth, implants create solid, attractive replacement teeth.
If you don’t know much about dental implants, dispelling certain myths and providing these facts should help you make an informed decision.
Myth: Dental implant surgery is painful
Fact: While no surgical procedure is enjoyable, your dentist will administer sedation designed to keep you comfortable during the procedure. After surgery, your doctor can recommend the right medications to ease your pain.
Myth: Dental implants have a high failure rate
Fact: Actually, the opposite is true. With proper care, dental implants have a 95 to 98 percent success rates
Myth: Implants require extra care
Fact: One of the best features with implants is the fact that you treat them like your natural teeth. Brush twice a day, floss regularly, and see your dentist for checkups.
Myth: Older patients aren’t good candidates for implants
Fact: Age alone isn’t the deciding factor. For successful implant therapy, you need good oral health and solid bone structure to hold the posts. If you don’t have adequate bone tissue, bone grafting maybe an option.
Myth: Any dentist can place dental implants
Fact: While most dentists can complete the restoration of implants, which involves placing permanent crowns on the posts, the implant surgery to position the posts in your jaw requires special training. Make sure you find a dentist or specialist who has extensive experience with implant placement.
