Deciding Whether Or Not To Get A Dental Implant

Once tooth loss occurs, the integrity of the entire bite is compromised. This means that not only do you have a glaring hole in your smile, but you also have a much higher likelihood of experiencing further tooth loss. Getting a dental implant is one of many ways to resolve this problem and prevent new oral health issues from developing. Following are some of the benefits and drawbacks of these procedures so that you can make a truly informed decision about the future of your oral health.

Implants are a two-pronged process. Once your tooth has been extracted, a titanium post will be used to replace the root. This is inserted directly into the jawbone. Over time, the bone will graft itself around the post to create a firm, stable structure. Finally, a prosthetic tooth is screwed onto this post to complete your smile.

One of the major benefits of these treatments is the fact that they can actually prevent deterioration of the jawbone. Whenever a tooth is lost, the body gradually stops routing blood and nutrients to this portion of the mouth in order to service other areas. Surprisingly, however, your body will respond to your implant just like it would a normal tooth root. This ensures the regular delivery of blood flow so that no bone density is lost.

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People love the fact that the prosthetic teeth used to complete these procedures can be matched to coordinate with their own natural teeth perfectly. Thus, it will not be possible to know that you've ever lost a tooth at all, once your treatment is complete. Moreover, you can brush and floss your new tooth just like your own natural ones.

You may be interested in learning more about why this prevents additional tooth loss. Whenever one or more teeth are missing, the remaining tooth structures have to work a lot harder. This creates problems caused by additional wear and tear such as stress fractures and cracks that allow bacteria in. Over time, infections, decay and tooth loss can occur.

There are, however, a few affordable alternatives to implants. For instance, you might have a simple flapper installed if you have a small budget. A flapper is simply an aesthetic improvement, like a tooth front. Although these products are cheap, they do not provide any functional benefits and they will not improve the integrity of the bit.

Flappers are not the only alternative to implants. The most common alternative is the bridge. This is a prosthetic tooth that is affixed to the two health teeth that abut the missing tooth. This can be used for chewing just as an implant can. It will not, however, have any significant ability to prevent jawbone deterioration given that there is no titanium post replacing the nerve.

Implants are also considered to be among the longest lasting restoration treatments in this class. If you brush and floss regular and receive routine dental care, this replacement is likely to last between 15 and 30 years. Best of all, if problems do occur, they can usually be corrected by simply replacing any damaged prostheses while retaining the titanium post.