When To Get Dental Implants

Having a missing tooth is a situation that many adults will experience sooner or later. The negative impact of tooth loss is very underestimated and more than just a cosmetic concern. Dental implants are an excellent long-term solution that can tremendously enhance the quality of your life and the appearance of your teeth and smile.

Even though dental implants are usually the best option for replacing missing teeth, implants are not for everyone. You need to know when dental implants can help and when they do not make an appropriate treatment.

What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is simply a type of artificial tooth that is implanted directly into the jawbone, which fuses around it to provide a solid anchor. So implants will never slip within your mouth like dentures sometimes can. And properly cared for, a new implant should last for a lifetime.

Each dental implant is composed of three parts: a titanium metal screw, an abutment and a crown, which serves as an aesthetic and functional replacement of the chewing surface of a natural tooth.

How are dental implants placed?

In most cases, dental implants take at least two dental appointments to place. During the first, your dentist will be implanting a titanium metal post into your jawbone. After a few months, when your jawbone has fused around your new implant, they will place another structure called an abutment onto the metal post. Finally, at a subsequent appointment, your dentist will cap the entire structure with a dental crown.

One exception to the above is if a patient requires a bone graft procedure. This may become necessary if you have gone a long time without addressing a missing tooth. Your jawbone needs a tooth root, artificial or not, to maintain its mass. Having a missing tooth leads to something called absorption, or jaw bone loss. Since a dental implant requires a certain amount of bone mass for implantation, a bone graft procedure would help to shore up the area so that a dental implant can be placed.

Missing Tooth

If you are missing a tooth, now might be a good time to get a dental implant. Implants fill in the gaps between missing teeth and prevent bone loss. By filling in the space between teeth, implants also prevent other teeth from shifting into this empty space, which could have a negative impact on your teeth and smile.

Infected Tooth

Your dentist will do everything that they can to preserve your natural teeth. Unfortunately, teeth cannot always be saved. If you have a severe infection, and your dentist tells you that they cannot save the tooth, you should strongly consider getting a dental implant to replace the tooth.

Your new dental implant will look and act just like a natural tooth. Implants are strong and reliable, like natural teeth. And implants do not require any special care. You would simply brush your implants along with your regular teeth.

The Takeaway

Nothing can provide a complete replacement for a natural tooth. The good news is that dental implants come extremely close, and offer the look, feel, and function of natural teeth.

We are currently offering a free dental implant consultation so call us on 07 5591 3620 or use our Book an Appointment form.