Restoring your smile can have so many positive effects on your life but let’s be honest, it can be intimidating. There’s often oral surgery involved and time that needs to be dedicated to healing. Our Ada, MI, dentists know that replacing missing teeth is a huge decision but strongly encourage it, often with dental implants.
Here are 5 signs that, if you identify with any, may lead you to consider the dental implant procedure.
Dental Implants Are Great If You Have:
1. One or More Missing Teeth
One of the most obvious reasons for a like dental implants is a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth. No matter how you lost them, it can be a source of shame and embarrassment in your life.
Our dentists are here to help. A dental implant will be carefully placed in each available spot and will be as strong and durable as a natural tooth. also only requires regular brushing and flossing so there is no need to stress over extensive maintenance.
2. Less Patience for Dentures or a Bridge
It goes without saying that both full and partial dentures and dental bridges serve a useful purpose. However, the care that they require isn’t always the most ideal or quickest.
Because dentures are known to slip at times, adhesive is often needed to keep them in place. The regular application of an adhesive is where it can get messy and outright inconvenient for many wearers. Implants, on the other hand, are embedded into your jawbone and are not in danger of shifting throughout the day.
Dentures also need to be removed and properly cleaned after eating to prevent plaque buildup or trapped food particles. Those who have dentures must be careful when brushing the appliance(s) to avoid damage and must soak them overnight.
You can care for dental implants in the same way as you do your natural teeth: brush at least twice a day and floss daily. Regular dental checkups are also appreciated so our dentists can monitor your oral health.
3. Had a Tooth Taken Out Recently
Our dentists will always do whatever they can to save an infected tooth. Unfortunately, if the infection is too severe, we will need to perform a tooth extraction.
For obvious reasons, having a tooth pulled often gets people thinking about replacement options. If you want the feeling and function of a natural tooth, a dental implant is the ideal choice. The implant will fill in the new gap seamlessly and not look out of place in the slightest.
4. Concerns About Sunken Facial Features
After teeth are lost, your jawbone tends to shrink and decline in mass due to a lack of stimulation. Bone loss over time can lead to a change in facial structure and cause an individual to look older than their true age.
While traditional dentures help replace missing teeth, they do not stimulate the jawbone as they sit on top of the gums. Dental implants are instead placed by our dentists into your jawbone which in turn prevents bone loss much like a natural tooth root would.
5. A Severely Cracked or Broken Tooth
A damaged tooth can be repaired with other restorative procedures but sometimes, the cracked or broken tooth is beyond the fix of a dental crown. Our dentists may decide that it is best to extract the remaining part of the tooth and place a dental implant.
If it is found that your tooth is broken below the gingival line or has resulted in damaged pulp, a tooth extraction may also be the option to pursue. Your oral health will greatly improve after having an implant placed thanks to its long-lasting durability and jawbone stimulation.
Make a Change For Your Oral Health
Tired of the complications and embarrassment that missing teeth bring? Our , can embed a titanium post into your jawbone, place an abutment piece and crown on top and voila: your tooth has been restored! If you’d like to learn more about dental implants, call Norman Family Dentistry today at (616) 676-9177 to request an appointment.