Do you wish you could have a natural-looking, permanent solution for your damaged or missing teeth? You don’t need to have dentures or partials to restore your smile. At St John Smiles, you can improve your speech and chewing abilities, enhance your smile, and boost your self-esteem with dental implants.
Why Dental Implants?
Dental implants are titanium prosthetic teeth that are inserted surgically into the gums to provide a permanent replacement for your missing or damaged tooth. There are quite a few advantages to having dental implants over your standard partials or dentures, including the following:
- They are easy to maintain. Once healed, dental implants feel and act just like your natural teeth. They don’t require any special maintenance, so you need to maintain a good dental hygiene routine to keep them in good condition.
- They are highly functional. The titanium implant eventually fuses to your jawbone, allowing it to act just like a natural tooth. Therefore, with dental implants, you’ll be able to speak, chew, and swallow just as easily as you could with your healthy, natural teeth.
- They are permanent. Dental implants boast a 98 percent success rate. If you maintain a good dental hygiene routine, these devices should last you for the rest of your life.
- They look natural. Your dental implant will be covered with a customized crown that is specially created to blend in with your surrounding teeth. This ensures that your dental implant will look like a natural part of your smile.
The Procedure
To begin the process of getting your dental implant, you will first need to have a consultation with your dentist to determine if these devices are well-suited to your particular circumstances. For example, to be eligible for dental implants, patients mustn’t use tobacco products or suffer from a chronic illness. Patients with structural issues in the jawbone may require initial surgeries before receiving the dental implant.
Once you’ve been cleared for the procedure, your process of getting a dental implant (which can take anywhere from 6-12 weeks) can begin! Your dentist will use a general or local anesthetic during the dental implant procedure to ensure you are comfortable throughout the process. If applicable, your dentist will first remove the damaged or decayed tooth. Then, they will insert the titanium implant into the gums. At this stage, you will need to take some time to heal and recover. Your dentist may prescribe pain medication at this time, or they may recommend over-the-counter pain medications to manage your symptoms. After the site has healed and the implant has fused with the jawbone, you will return to have a permanent crown installed over the implant. When the process is finished, your dental implant will look completely natural and feel great, too!
To schedule your dental implant consultation and learn more about these cutting-edge restorative devices, call St John Smiles today!