For many years people suffered from loss of teeth because of various reasons, such as tooth decay, injury, or some other periodontal issues. But with the advancement in science and technology, you have more options to treat your dental issues than deal with them. One such treatment is a dental implant.
In this article, we will understand what dental implants are and their significance. Also, owing to their expensive treatment, the article will explain how long these dental implants last.
Let’s get going!
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that provide a base for permanent tooth replacement, enough to match your natural teeth. These are put in place where your original tooth is missing.
Compared to the old-school techniques of fixing dentures, bridges, and crowns, dental implants are a modern, sophisticated, effective, and more permanent solution for chronic dental issues. The primary focus is to look as natural as the original set of teeth.
What are dental implants made of?
Modern dental implants are made of titanium or titanium alloys. However, to feel comfortable about the procedure, you must know the procedure and overall idea. It involves a titanium implant that, overdue time, infuses itself with the bone cells forming a relatively stronger anchor for the new tooth.
The insertion is fixed using titanium screws and is directly affixed to the bone. It tricks your jawbone to believe that the root still exists. Therefore, an implant is a permanent replacement for your otherwise missing tooth. Also, you can have dental implants either for a single tooth or for a series of teeth, lower or upper set. You can also opt for an entire arch, i.e., full mouth treatment.
What are the types of dental implants?
There are basically three types, as discussed briefly above:
- Full mouth treatment: if you wish to replace your entire upper/lower set of teeth, you can get a full mouth implant. This will involve attaching an entire arch in the space available.
- Multiple implants: often, patients miss more than a tooth. You may resort to multiple implants if you have a pack of healthy gum and strong surrounding teeth but miss more than a single tooth. In such a procedure, two fixtures are implanted, and a crown is attached on the top.
- Single implant: As the name suggests, you can go ahead with single implant surgery if you are suffering from a lost tooth. Your new tooth will look as natural as your old one.
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How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants are known to last for a long while, much more durable than dentures. Experts claim that dental implants can last up to an average of 25 years.
If you take proper care, these can be your lifelong pals. Here, care involves the same brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups.
What are the benefits of dental implants?
If you are at risk of dental loss or suffering from chronic dental issues, you can go for dental implants.
Following are the advantages of dental implants:
- Improved speech and comfort
- Easy to eat, smile, and talk
- Improved self-confidence
- Improved oral health and hygiene
- Dental implants are undoubtedly more convenient than dentures since the former does not have to deal with messy adhesives or the inconvenience of removing dentures.
- These are definitely a durable option and can go on for a lifetime if taken care of.
See Also: How to pull a loose tooth that won’t come out
How much do dental implants cost?
Known to be expensive, dental implant surgery varies with the type of dental implant you may need. For instance, a single implant may cost around $1500 to $6000, while multiple can cost up to $50,000.
In general, the surgery is considered expensive, so many patients worry if the cost is realistic or if the implant is worth its cost.
Are dental implants worth it?
Dental implants can be pretty expensive. However, they are much better than the authentic techniques of dentures and bridges. The latter involves messy adhesives to root them in place.
Also, dentures are removable, hence, inconvenient because they need to be removed every night and dipped in a cleaning solution overnight. Moreover, dental implants are much more convenient than a permanent solution for lost/removed teeth.
Furthermore, tooth implants are more natural-looking and natural-functioning. You can continue to eat with the implants on which is not the case with dentures. Since dentures involve adhesive, you will have dietary restrictions.
Another benefit of dental implants is that, unlike dentures, tooth implants will maintain the jaw structure. Since these are fixed with titanium screws inserted directly into the bone, they replace the tooth root. Therefore, even though the latter is expensive, the benefits go beyond the cost.
