Patients suffering from missing teeth understand the difficulties of chewing or smiling publicly. It’s common for patients to feel a negative mental health toll and self-consciousness when smiling with missing teeth. Luckily, dental implants have revolutionized dentistry by offering a permanent solution to replace missing teeth. Patients can reclaim their confidence with a smile full of teeth for those where an implant is possible.

Here we’ll look at the details of dental implant surgery, its benefits, and the factors that make it worthwhile.

What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots made of biocompatible materials such as titanium that get surgically placed into the jawbone. These implants provide a stable foundation for attaching dental prosthetics, such as crowns or dentures. The implant integrates with the surrounding bone, creating strong and long-lasting support for the replacement tooth. To patients, implants feel precisely the same as their natural teeth when installed correctly by a dentist. You can chew normally; when smiling, they appear the same as your natural teeth. They even have different color gradings from yellowish to pure white to match your existing teeth color.

Common Causes for Dental Implant Surgery:

There are many different reasons why patients lose teeth, no matter their age. Let’s look at the most common.

Tooth Loss due to Decay or Trauma

The most common reason for dental implant surgery is tooth loss resulting from tooth decay, gum disease, or dental trauma. When a tooth is severely decayed or damaged, it may require extraction. Dental implants can effectively replace the missing tooth without compromising adjacent healthy teeth.

Decay can begin with a small cavity if left untreated, can degrade into a painful death of the root, and the tooth with rot away. This is why it’s so important to go to the dentist regularly. A minor cavity can be treated in one visit at a low cost. But left alone, it can turn into a painful and costly dental problem. So, don’t skip the dentist.

Periodontal (Gum) Disease

Untreated periodontal disease can lead to the loss of teeth and bone deterioration. Periodontitis, an advanced stage of gum disease, destroys the supporting structures of teeth, including the periodontal ligament and jawbone. Dental implants offer a viable solution by replacing the natural tooth root and preventing further bone loss.

Here too, seeing the dentist regularly is essential. If you have the beginning stage of gum disease, your dentist can spot it and recommend a treatment plan. Patients will often not experience gum discomfort until late in the disease stage. Early detection makes all the distance in saving your gums from leading to tooth loss.

Congenital Conditions or Genetic Factors

Some individuals may have congenital conditions or genetic factors that affect tooth development. These factors can lead to missing teeth or abnormal tooth structure. Dental implant surgery can restore the affected area’s appearance and functionality, enhancing the patient’s overall oral health. If gum disease is common in your family tree, you’ll want to care extra about your dental hygiene routine. You can keep decaying away greatly with the right toothpaste and oral care routine.

Denture Stabilization

Dental implants are also used to stabilize and support removable dentures. Ill-fitting or loose dentures can cause discomfort, speech problems, and difficulty chewing. By strategically placing dental implants, dentures can get anchored securely, providing improved stability and confidence to the patient. This makes patients feel more secure in their day-to-day activities, like eating.

Dental Implant Surgery Isn’t for Everyone

Implants can be a great option if you are missing one or more teeth. But they are not for everyone. If a tooth was extracted, but the bone didn’t fill in enough three months later, an implant won’t be possible as there isn’t enough bone to anchor to. But for most patients, an implant is a great option to restore a single, or any number, of missing teeth.

For the best Brooklyn Dental Implant Specialist, look no further than right here at Coney Island Dental. We’ve proudly served the neighborhood for over 40 years. Give us a call, and let’s discuss your options.

In our next piece, we’ll look at the implant process.