Missing teeth can not only impact your self-esteem, but they can also be bad for your oral health. The teeth on either side of the gap may “lean in” to compensate, a missing tooth can change your bite, and the gap can make it easier for food to get stuck while eating. This can make it more likely that you will lose more teeth.
Dental implants are a great fix for a missing tooth, but misconceptions about how they work can scare some people away from this reliable, long-term solution. Let’s clear up some of the confusion around dental implants.
If you’ve had a casual conversation about dental implants, here are some of the talking points that may have come up.
Myth: Dental Implants Don’t Look Real
If you’re worried about a dental implant sticking out like a sore thumb, you shouldn’t be! The visible crown of the dental implant is ceramic and matches your real teeth. Your dentist will ensure that the implant’s colour, shape, and size match your existing teeth. No one will be able to spot it!
Myth: Dental Implants Are Costly
Indeed, the dental implant procedure isn’t cheap. But the damage that a missing tooth can do to your mouth will cost you a lot more in the long run. Not to mention that dental implants are, for most people, an investment that lasts a lifetime. If you take good care of your dental implants, they can last over thirty years.
When you add in the benefits of dental implants in terms of appearance, comfort, and the ability to enjoy a varied diet, then you’ll see that dental implants are of great value.
Myth: Dental Implants Are Painful
Dental implant surgery is certainly more invasive than a cleaning. Still, with an experienced surgeon, the procedure will be quick (in some cases as quick as 15 minutes), and local anesthesia will prevent pain during the implantation. And with the exciting new digital dental implant technology, you won’t even need stitches. As with any other dental surgery, you will experience some discomfort over the first few days of healing, but your dentist will provide you with recommendations for managing and treating that pain.
Myth: Dental Implants Feel Uncomfortable
Some people assert that dental implants feel uncomfortable in your mouth. However, this is far from the truth. Compared to other tooth replacement options, dental implants are usually more comfortable.
Once your dental implant heals, it likely won’t feel different from your natural teeth. You’ll feel the pressure on the implant when you bite and chew, just as you do with natural teeth. Some people can tell the difference between an implant and a natural tooth. Natural teeth have nerves inside them that also sense pressure and temperature, but implants don’t have these nerves, so they aren’t sensitive the way natural teeth can be.
Compared to removable dentures, dental implants are much more comfortable to wear. Removable dentures put bite pressure on the gums. Gums aren’t hard tissue like teeth and bones, and getting them caught between two hard substances–the denture and your bone–can lead to pain in chewing.
Myth: My Body Could Reject Dental Implants
It’s true that your body can reject dental implants. However, this is an extremely rare circumstance. Less than 2% of implant patients experience dental implant failure initially. A dentist could describe only a small number of these as “rejected.” Often, rejection is due to other factors. Dental implants have a high success rate because the procedure is extremely reliable. The implant itself is titanium. Titanium is a biocompatible metal capable of osseointegration, where your bone grows to the implant. Some factors make you more susceptible to implant rejection, but the average person has an incredibly high probability of success.
Myth: I Can’t Eat Normal Food with Dental Implants
It’s hard to know where some of these myths get started. However, this one couldn’t be further from the truth. If you want to eat everyday foods, dental implants are the best tooth-replacement option you can choose.
Dental implants let you bite and chew normally. A dental implant conveys biting force directly from your bone to the top of the tooth. This gives you almost the same bite force as when you had natural teeth. Plus, the entire implant is at least as strong as natural tooth material from the ceramic crown through the implant root. With dental implants, you can eat with confidence.
Unlike with removable dentures, you don’t have to learn a new chewing technique, nor do you have to remove your replacement teeth for eating.
Myth: I’m Not A Good Candidate For Dental Implants
A good candidate for dental implants has healthy teeth and gums, is a non-smoker and has good bone density to support the implant. However, even people who don’t fit all these criteria can have successful dental implant surgery. Not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants, but you may be surprised what a good dentist can work with! Your dentist can examine your oral health and make an informed decision on whether or not to recommend the procedure. And if you’re not a good candidate for dental implants, your dentist can recommend other tooth replacement options that are better suited to your needs.
Get the Facts about Dental Implants
The fact is that dental implants are an excellent tooth replacement solution for almost everyone. Don’t dismiss dental implants until you’ve talked to an expert, like the Baulkham Hills implant dentists at My Hills Dentist.
Don’t let missing teeth stop you from having a beautiful, healthy smile! Call (02) 9686 7375 or contact us online to make an appointment at My Hills Dentist in Baulkham Hills and find out if dental implants are the right choice for you
