Most people hope they never need to have dentures or other missing-tooth options, but sometimes it happens. Losing a tooth to decay, or an accident looks bad, but it can also affect speech, chewing and change the alignment of your jaw and bite. While it doesn’t happen overnight, if you lose a tooth and neglect to do anything about it for a period of years, your teeth could shift, giving you a crooked or strange-looking smile. Therefore, you need to have something done, such as a bridge, partial denture or dental implants, though it can be difficult to know which is right for you.
What An Implant Does
There are many great benefits of having an implant, the least of which is that you’ll have an ordinary looking tooth. The other benefits include being able to eat regularly, talk correctly and not be embarrassed to smile.
Because they never shift or need to be removed, they are usually seen as a better option than dentures. However, not everyone is a perfect candidate for an implant, so it’s important to understand who is.
Ideal Candidates
The good news is that age doesn’t affect your ability to receive an implant. Children, adults and senior citizens can all be ideal candidates, as long as they have a few basic criteria.
The first includes good health because those with many other diseases may find that a surgical implant isn’t the best choice. For example, people with diabetes or rare blood disorders may not be good candidates because they could have other complications after, before or during surgery.
You’ll also need to consider your jawbone density. Dental implants include metal posts and brackets that must be placed in the jaw. If your jawbone isn’t strong enough or thick enough to handle the posts, they could fall out or slip, causing more problems.
The last thing to consider is whether or not you have healthy gums. The post must be surgically inserted into the gum and jaw, requiring the dentist to cut into the gums. If you have gum disease, you may not heal properly or quickly, causing even more problems.
Non-Ideal Candidates
Those that smoke, drink heavily or have certain diseases may not be the best choices for an implant. It is important to consider all options, because those factors may not disqualify you, but more testing and thought may be involved.
Whether you are in need of dental implants, a sleep device to prevent grinding or wisdom teeth extraction, you can count on either Westfield Oral Surgery to handle your dental issue in a prompt and professional manner.
