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Should I Get Dental Implants? Pros and Cons
Cherrywood Dental • Feb 08, 2017
Moving forward with tooth replacement is a big decision. But no matter the dental restoration you choose, you’re going to love living with a full smile again. Restoring your teeth is worth it – you just need to make sure your treatment fits your needs. With a combination of a satisfying treatment process and rewarding results, you’ll find your restoration fulfilling. The big question is: how should you replace your missing tooth?
Dental implants have become one of the most popular restoration options – and with good reason. These titanium tooth root replacements connect with your jaw bone to form long-term foundations for restorations. But implants aren’t right for every patient. In order to help you learn more about the advantages of disadvantages of tooth implants, we’ve listed pros and cons below to inform patients just starting their research.
Looking for personalized guidance? Schedule a free consultation for advice on what will work best for your own teeth. There’s no commitment to you, and so much to gain from restorative care.
Top Benefits of Dental Implants
Best quality of life after tooth loss
If you’re looking for a return to life before tooth loss (and who isn’t?), dental implants are the right choice. They allow for you to speak, chew and smile exactly the way you did when you possessed all your natural teeth. Because implants connect with the jaw bone, they form a solid foundation to which any restoration can be connected. You’ll never be nervous about your dentures slipping or clicking, or hide your teeth for fear that the restorations will look unnatural.
Most cost-effective tooth replacement
Yes, dental implants have a higher upfront cost than other restorations. But when you consider your long-term investments, implants are the way to go. If you get a bridge, partial or dentures without implants, you’ll need to pay for them to be repaired or replaced more often. Your jaw bone and gums will change shape over time without stimulation of implants. The dentures will need to be refitted or remade to retain a strong grip on your palate. Plus, implants can often last for decades – and even for the rest of the patient’s life.
If you’re able to make an investment in implants today, you will save time, effort, and money in the long run.
Improve long term oral health
You want your dental restoration to work for you – and to help support great oral health in the years to come. Because implants connect to the jaw, they offer unique benefits. Implants form a connection with osseous tissue. Then, stimulation from chewing and biting transfers force through the implant to the bone. This stimulates the bone to prevent bone loss and help preserve your facial structure.
Implants can also be paired with individual crowns, which leads to the impression that you have individual, free-standing teeth. This method of restoration makes it simpler for you to brush and floss. There’s no risk of food and bacteria getting wedged in the restoration, as can happen with dentures. This lowers your overall risk of periodontal disease and cavities.
Feel like the real thing
Implants connect securely to your jaw. The overall sensation, once the implant has healed, is that you have a standard tooth root in place. This makes you feel more confident in your restoration and in its function and appearance.
Dental Implant Cons
More expensive upfront
While dental implants are a wise investment, they are more expensive initially than other restorative options. If you’re wondering how you’ll be able to finance an option like implants, we encourage you to learn more about dental financing plans. We offer a few different financing providers so that you can find one that works with your current budget, credit and savings. Remember, deciding to get implants today will end up saving you money in the future. It’s worth it to make the premium restorative choice.
Longer healing time
When you receive a restoration like a bridge or a crown on its own, there’s little to no downtime involved (although there is an adjustment period). Implants work very differently. The implant must be surgically placed in your jaw bone, and then it needs to be allowed time to heal.
We offer TeethXpress to make this process as comfortable as possible. With this special system, implants and crowns can be placed all at once, in a single appointment. This way, you don’t have to spend any time without new teeth in place.
Adequate bone density necessary for placement
Your dental implant needs sufficient bone to integrate with in order for it to heal successfully. If it’s been some time since the tooth was lost, bone tissue in the area may have dissolved. Fortunately, patients with inadequate bone density can receive bone grafts to augment the area and prep it for implants.
Left with implant questions? Get in touch today for answers.