Our teeth are, unfortunately, very easy to ignore — until they aren’t. When your teeth are “working” well, you may feel as if you can skip a teeth cleaning, or two, or five. Few particularly likes to go to the dentist’s office, and as such many of us end up skipping at least one cleaning every once in a while. However, when your teeth begin to deteriorate, they begin to deteriorate very fast. On the physical side, losing teeth in adulthood is extremely painful, no matter how it happens. The cosmetic aspect is also not to be dismissed, with 74% of adults believing that an unattractive smile can hurt their career success. Whether or not this is fair, it’s possibly very true. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, over half of the American population over 50 believes that the smile is the one thing that remains the most attractive as we age; but sometimes we make mistakes, resulting, unfortunately in permanent consequences for our teeth. And other times we’re unable to take care of our teeth the way we want to, for various reasons. Neglect, of course, is not the only reason why people end up with missing teeth. Sometimes, missing teeth are the results of traumatic accidents. They also can be linked to genetic issues that cause people to be born missing teeth. No matter what the cause of missing teeth, dental implant doctors can provide solutions for people.
What Are Dental Implants?
With over 30 million Americans missing all their teeth in one or both jaws, it should come as little surprise that the American and European markets for dental implants are expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2022. Dental implants, essentially, are very realistic false teeth that are meant to act as physical and cosmetic replacements for missing teeth. However, as dental implant doctors will tell you, implants are not meant to function as dentures do. Dentures are not permanent, and can be removed whenever the patient desires. Dental implants, on the other hand, are permanent and need to be put in place by dental implant doctors, often under some level of sedation. Dental implants solutions can be individualized, filling in gaps for patients missing one or several teeth. They can also be solutions for those missing all of their teeth. Yes, full mouth dental implants do exist, and they can make it possible not only for people to have the cosmetic appearance of a full mouth of teeth, but to have the physical abilities of a full mouth of teeth. This can be life- and health-changing.
How Effective Are Dental Implants?
For some, dental implants may sound too good to be true. It’s true that dental implants are not solutions for everyone — but they are solutions for many people, and with high success rates. According to scientific literature, the success rate for dental implants is around 98%. These implants are, as previously discussed, not meant to be temporary solutions, and they are made with that fact in mind. Usually, they are made out of grade four commercially pure Ti. This material is resistant to corrosion, ensuring a longer lifetime, and is stronger than other grades. Another thing to keep in mind is that initial stability of implants plays a major factor in their success. Of the few dental implants that have failed, most probably fail due to initial instability. Implants with initial instability have a failure rate of 32% — although this doesn’t happen, it is a consideration. As such, you should take measures to make sure that your dental implant doctor is not only qualified but experienced.
Dental implants can certainly change a person’s life in a major way. If you feel as if you may be a candidate for them, don’t hesitate to ask your dentist for them. And for that matter, don’t feel embarrassed. This is the first time towards a better life for you.
