Have you grown embarrassed to spend time with friends, and even with your family, because of your incomplete smile? Tooth loss can be a frustrating experience as an adult, and one that can lead to struggles to maintain proper nutrition, as well as to enjoy time with loved ones, due to embarrassment about one’s smile. Fortunately, prosthetic dentistry makes it possible to restore the smile’s function, and just as importantly a patient’s confidence in it. So if you are tired of trying to hide your smile, or of making do with one that is incomplete or uncomfortable, it’s time to talk to your restorative dentist about how a dental implant could help you smile again.

What Makes Dental Implants Unique?

If you’re wondering why dental implants are so popular, it is because of the many unique benefits they provide. First, dental implants are the only prostheses that actually helps to replace both a missing tooth and its root. This is important from a stability standpoint, as the post used to anchor a replacement tooth acts to help keep the replacement tooth in proper place. However, it is also important to the jaw’s health, because the post can help supply the jaw with nutrients, the way a healthy tooth root would. This helps prevent jaw shrinkage, which can be problematic for both the teeth’s alignment and the overall facial structure, as well.

Considerations to Discuss with Your Prosthetic Dentist

If you’re unsure whether a dental implant is right for you, or not, a consultation with your dentist is critical. In fact, all patients will need to determine if they are good candidates for dental implants. That is because an implant requires soft tissue that is healthy enough to grow around the titanium post, after its placement.

In cases of gum disease or infection, treatment for the gums, such as periodontal therapy, may first be necessary, before an implant can be completed.