As a Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, one of the most frequent
questions I get is on the subject of dental implants. Often,
patients will come in with some basic knowledge of the
procedure and the process, but won't have all of the
neccessary facts in order to make an informed choice.
I like to sit down with anyone considering having dental implants
done and fully explain not only the process, but what kind of
results they should expect, as well as any potential problems
that could arise. Hopefully, the following information should
help you decide whether dental implants are a good choice for
you!
Lets Take a Look at the Benefits of Dental Implants:
1. Improved Biting Pressure: Healthy teeth are able to
absorb over 500 pounds of biting pressure per square inch.
If you've worn dentures for a long time, that pressure may
be diminished significantly, to one-tenth that of natural
teeth. Dental implants can often restore the amount of
pressure that can be withstood to nearly the same level of
healthy natural teeth.
2. Comfort and Fit: Because your replacement teeth are
anchored securely to the implants in your jawbone, they
can't slip and slide like unsecured dentures can. When
dentures aren't secure enough, they often cause sores in
the mouth and an annoying clicking sound.
3. Longevity and reliability: With proper oral hygiene and
care, scientifically tested and approved dental implant
systems have been shown to last as long as 20 years or more
with very few complications.
4. Increased self-confidence: Because dental implants
function remarkably like natural teeth, most people who get
them experience a renewed sense of self-confidence once they
realize they can chew, talk, laugh and smile again with
confidence.
What Risks are Involved with Dental Implants?
Dental implant surgery has proved to be successful for
hundreds of thousands of people over the years. Negative
effects such as bleeding, infection, injury to the nerves or
sinus cavity, or incomplete healing of the bone around the
implan failure are rare. During the healing process,
however, discomfort, swelling and inflammation of the gums -
normal responses to oral surgery - may be present in varying
degrees. If you have questions about your individual
situation or want to discuss what is considered normal in
the healing process, we will be happy to address your
concerns.
How Do I Know If I Am a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
If you face the loss of one or several teeth or if you're
dis-satisfied with dentures or other options available to
you, you may find that dental implants are right for you!
Age is not typically a major factor. Successful dental
implants have been perfromed on young people and elderly
alike. Give our office a call to learn if dental implants
are a good solution for you.
I hope that this has helped you identify some of the major benefits that
having dental implants can provide both from the standpoint of
oral health, as well as the intangible, yet very important qualities
of improved self confidence, and heightened self-esteem. And while
your dentist can ultimately help you make a lot of the proper choices
for your set of circumstances, doing some advanced research is always
a good idea before having any medical procedure, so I congratulate you
for educating yourself about your oral health, and your beautiful smile!
Visit our new website dedicated to your beautiful LA smile!
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