When you’re missing a tooth, things can feel helpless. You know that you can’t grow a new tooth, so what are your options? You know people who have a tooth on a retainer or who have dentures that they take out at night, but those just don’t sound appealing. When your confidence is in the dumps, your speech is impaired, and you are having trouble eating, turn your attention to dental implants.
What are Implants?
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root. A restoration—artificial tooth—is placed on top of the dental implant. The artificial tooth root is a titanium post that is surgically placed into your jaw bone. Titanium is used because it is extremely durable, resistant to corrosion, and compatible with your hard tissues, in this case, jawbone. Once the metal is fused to your bone, your restoration can be placed, giving you a tooth or teeth that look just like the natural ones around it.
Who Can Get Implants?
Most people are candidates for dental implants. If your mouth is fully developed, you have healthy gums, are healthy enough for surgery, and are missing a tooth or teeth, you can likely get dental implants.
You may need a dental implant because you lost a tooth in an accident, from gum disease or tooth decay. If you’re concerned about the health of your gums and getting dental implants, you can always get periodontal therapy before the procedure. Having healthy gums helps to ensure the success of your implant.
Another requirement for dental implants is that your mouth is fully developed, all your adult teeth are in, and you are not undergoing orthodontics. For this reason, children are not candidates for dental implants.
Are Dental Implants as Good as Natural Teeth?
Dental implants are as close to natural teeth as you can get in an artificial tooth. They are the top choice for many people due to their durability, normal maintenance routine, and exceptional color match to your other teeth.
Surgically inserting a titanium post into your jaw may sound scary but don’t run yet. There is a good reason for surgically placing the implant. With the implant fused naturally to your bone, all the pressure from chewing will go directly into your jaw bone instead of placing stress on your gums (like dentures do). Additionally, since the dental implant is fused to your bone, your jawbone will receive the stimuli from chewing which will prevent your jaw from losing mass. These two essential functions that dental implants take care of are some of the purposes of your natural tooth root. With a functional artificial root and a restoration that looks just like your other teeth, your friends, family, and colleagues won’t even know that your tooth is artificial.
How Painful is the Dental Implant Procedure?
The dental implant procedure is not painful. Your implant dentist will take special care to make sure that you are sedated for the surgery. At Burkburnett Family Dental, we are experts in sedation dentistry because we want you to have a painless and stress-free procedure.
Recovery doesn’t have to be painful either. Following the post-surgical treatment plan given to you after your procedure will ensure comfort along your healing process.
How Many Teeth can be Replaced with Implants?
A great thing about dental implants is that you can replace as many teeth as you want. In some cases, people will get an entire arch of teeth replaced with dental implants and in others, it will just be one or two. We also offer All-On-Four dental implants to give you maximum comfort and tooth function.
What Happens if Dental Implants Fail?
Dental implants have a very high success rate of 90-95%. Even so, implants can fail for a variety of reasons. The top reasons why dental implants might fail are gum disease, smoking, insufficient jaw bone, medical conditions, poor oral health routines, and inexperienced surgeons.
If your implant fails, usually it can be removed, the area cleaned, and the implant replaced. If there are underlying reasons why your dental implant failed, you may need to seek treatment or undergo a lifestyle change before getting the implant again. Talk to your Burkburnett dentist about why your implant failed and consider your options. Make sure to mention if you smoke, talk about your oral health routine, and let Dr. Kyle Clark know about any medications that you are on. In many cases, Dr. Clark will have an easy fix and you can get your implant back. Fixing the problems that caused your implant to fail will improve the longevity of your implant. Many implant posts can last a lifetime!
Having an experienced dental surgeon place your dental implant can be the factor that decides implant success or implant failure. Dr. Clark attends continuing education courses to stay up to date and learn the latest techniques in dental implants. He has been practicing dentistry since 2015 and has made it his mission to provide quality, comfortable, and hassle-free dentistry to the Burkburnett community. Dr. Clark has placed hundreds of dental implants with great success and can place yours too.
How do You Care for Dental Implants?
Another great thing about dental implants is that they are easy to care for. You care for them just as you’d care for your natural teeth. Brush your teeth twice per day, floss, and make visits to your implant dentist twice per year. If you don’t like flossing, there are other options like water flossing or using a dental pick.
What are All-On-Four Dental Implants?
All-On-Four dental implants are used to replace a whole arch of teeth on just four implant posts. Your implant dentist will strategically place four dental implants into your jaw bone. These four implants will hold all the teeth you are missing in that arch. Don’t worry, since there are four implants, your jaw will still get the stimulation it needs and you won’t have any difficulty chewing.
What are Implant Retained Dentures?
Implant Retained Dentures are dentures that clip onto dental implants that are surgically placed into your jawbone. They can either be completely removable or only removable by the dentist.
How Much do Dental Implants Cost?
The cost of dental implants varies per patient. Each patient is unique and has unique needs. Call (940) 569-4901 to learn more about what your implant needs are and the investment. We will do everything we can to help you navigate insurance.
Are Dental Implants Right for Me?
Dental implants will help you regain your confidence, allow you to chew and eat your favorite foods without difficulty or sensitivity, improve your speech, and stimulate your jaw bone for a full, youthful-looking face and smile.
If you’re missing a tooth in Burkburnett, TX, Dr. Clark and his team at Burkburnett Family Dental can help. Don’t wait to replace your missing teeth, call now or schedule an appointment online.
