What Is the Most Updated Method for Replacing a Missing Tooth?

Tooth loss is not a recent phenomenon and has been occurring since time immemorial. Humans have lost a tooth or all teeth in the jaw and have sought replacements for them since the last century. Fortunately, people have succeeded in getting suitable replacements for natural teeth after dentists discovered them over 150 years.

Initially, people had dentures to replace missing teeth that they lost due to gum disease, tooth decay, injuries, et cetera. As time progressed, dentists created partial dentures to ensure people losing one or two teeth do not have to continue smiling without an entire set of teeth.

Dentistry advances soon developed dental bridges fixed in the mouth to replace one to four, consequently missing teeth in the jaw. Therefore if you are looking for missing teeth replacements, you can comfortably find numerous solutions to close the edentulous gaps between your teeth. However, if you are looking for the most updated method for the replacement, you see none better than dental implants providing an excellent strategy for replacing a missing tooth or on your teeth in the jaw.

Are You Eligible for Dental Implants?

Having discovered an updated system for replacing a missing tooth, you might rush to dental implants in Oakland, CA, requesting this excellent option for your missing tooth. Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible for implants because they require surgery and considerable investment in various procedures before you get the implant embedded in your jaw.

During your meeting with the Oakland specialist, they inquire about your general and dental health condition and evaluate your mouth, checking for bone resorption. The dentist requests your medical history to determine your eligibility for the dental implant procedure. If you smoke and are unwilling to quit, the dentist negates your eligibility because dental implants fail due to gum disease, which often affects smokers. Immunosuppressive conditions like diabetes and others also make you ineligible to receive implants.

Fortunately, if your dental and overall health is excellent, you can proceed to receive one dental implant to replace a single tooth or even get full mouth dental implants to replace all teeth in an arch in your jaw.

The dentist creates a treatment plan for you, requesting that you commit to the procedure from the start until you receive your artificial teeth and beyond to ensure the process succeeds and your dental implant doesn’t fail. Adherence to the dentist’s recommendations is essential if you wish to receive natural-looking and feeling artificial teeth in your mouth after losing your permanent tooth.

Are Dental Implants Worth It?

As the most updated option for replacing missing teeth, dental implants are worth investing in because these are not removable dental prosthetics like dentures or fixed appliances like bridges. In contrast, dental implants are standalone tooth replacement options that help replace one or several teeth missing in your jaw.

The replacement teeth you receive sit on firmly stabilized dental implants secured by your jaw, holding a titanium post that functions as your lost tooth root. High-grade dental porcelain helps make the replacement tooth you receive over the implant look and function like your natural tooth.

Dental implants don’t need special attention besides brushing and flossing and regular oral prophylaxis from your dentist. However, you must ensure you don’t allow dental plaque to accumulate around your natural or the implanted tooth to prevent dental implant failure. If you follow the preventive measures, the dentist suggests you can have the dental implant in your mouth for life, while the artificial tooth might need replacements after a decade or more due to usual dental injuries. Therefore dental implants are worth investing in to replace your missing tooth or teeth with a permanent solution.

How Long Does the Implants Procedure Take?

The dental implant procedure is completed in one sitting at the dentist’s office, depending on the number of implants you want in your jaw under local sedation anesthesia. You can return home on the same day of your procedure with the new implants in your jaw. You can also have artificial teeth during your process for aesthetic reasons. However, you must remember that artificial teeth will not remain with you for long and are just an interim measure.

Dental implants require significant time to fuse with your jawbone in a process called osseointegration essential for the biocompatible titanium post to integrate with your body. Therefore, you must ensure you care for the implants as your dentist suggests to prevent complications with recovery or other conditions. However, if you are patient with your recovery, you can receive your permanent artificial teeth in approximately seven to eight months.

Although dental implants require considerable investment and time for healing, they are optimal for replacing one or all your teeth after losing them to infections, extraction, injuries, et cetera. In addition, implants are the sole option that remains with you for life with proper care.

Franklin Dental Care suggests dental implants for patients with good oral and overall health. If you have a missing tooth, kindly do not overlook this practice to receive your replacement teeth with the most updated technique available for the replacement.