Dental implants are a big part of the lives of those that are dealing with tooth loss. For many, there are tons of frequently asked dental implant questions, and you might not be able to find a great answer. Having a compiled list of frequently asked dental implant questions can make it easier to decide if implants are right for you or not. We have compiled some of the most common frequently asked dental implant questions to help you determine if implants are right for you.
Are Dental Implants Just Cosmetic?
This is a common issue that many people think is the case when answering frequently asked dental implant questions. The short answer is no, dental implants are not just cosmetic. Though they can help to make your smile look better, they are not just for the improvement of the look of teeth. Dental implants can help with bite correction. They can ensure that your dentures fit properly if you have a partial plate and help with the overall structure of your smile.
When you’re missing teeth, it can cause you pain, it can make it difficult to chew, and it can also make it hard to just live your life. Dental implants, while they can improve the way that your teeth look, they are not only cosmetic. Now, most cosmetic dentistry services are used to implant these teeth, but that does not mean that they are only for cosmetic purposes.
What Is a Dental Implant?
When asking frequently asked dental implant questions, one of the most common is: What is an implant? The implant is a tooth that has a screw attached to it that takes the place of a tooth that is missing from the mouth of the person having it installed. These implants are created to fit the mouth of the individual and are shaped to match the teeth that the individual already has. This is going to help make the tooth look as natural as possible.
A dental implant can be one single tooth, or it can be a bridge that has one implant with a few teeth on either side of it to fill in a larger gap. It does depend on the dentist that is going to work and on whether or not they feel that you need that many teeth replaced at once, or if one tooth is all you’re having replaced. These teeth are made of porcelain, so they feel and look like real teeth. They can be made to match the color of your teeth, and they can be blended into the teeth that you still have rather easily and without much overall effort or struggle.
How Are Dental Implants Installed?
This is another frequently asked dental implant question. The process is easier than you might imagine, but it does take a few weeks to complete. The process is going to start with the consultation. This might include a check to ensure that the bone is going to be strong enough to hold an implant. They will also look at the surrounding teeth to see what type of tooth is going to work best. If there is a tooth that needs to be removed, it will be taken out prior to the implant.
The next step is to prepare the site. They will open up the gum and drill into the jaw bone, installing a socket that is threaded. The gum is then closed up, and the area is allowed to heal. The artificial tooth is then made. When the gum and the socket are healed, the gum will be opened back up, and the tooth can be installed. Implant dentistry is so important, and you’ll need a good surgeon to make sure the process goes well.
Can Dental Implants Replace All of Your Teeth?
Another of the most frequently asked dental implant questions is if you can get full dental implants. The answer is yes. You can get a full mouth of dental implants. You’ll first have to have a consult to make sure that your bones are dense enough to handle that number of implants. You’ll then need to have any teeth that are left removed and allow those areas to heal. Your dentist is likely to only implant a few teeth at a time, as it can be very expensive and very painful to have a full mouth of implants done at the same time.
The process is likely to take a few months to complete and is going to be rather pricey. The average price of an implant can be up to $1000 per tooth. You need to talk with your dentist to see if they think you’re a good candidate for a full mouth of implants or not.
Your dentist is going to be able to tell you if you’re a good candidate for a full replacement or if you’re going to be better fitted for partial implants and some other type of dentures to help fill in the gaps that are going to be left.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Get Dental Implants?
Legally, you can get dental implants when you are 18 years old. The real issue comes with whether or not you’re going to be able to find a dentist that is going to do your implants at that very young age. The reason for it being that at 18, your mouth and bones are still growing. So, even if you get your implants done, they might not fit and might not look good when your mouth and bones are done growing. It’s advised that you wait until your mid-twenties to get implants. Most dentists in pediatric dental care will not even entertain the idea of implants in children.
Your dentist is going to help you learn why you need to wait to have implants done and will help you to figure out what you can do until you’re old enough to have your implants done. You want to make sure that you are not getting any sort of dental implants before your bones are done growing, and before your teeth are in their final position. A great dentist is going to help you really figure out the overall care that needs to be done and how quickly you can get your implants done.
Can Dental Implants Replace Traditional Dentures?
Another of the frequently asked dental implant questions is if you can replace dentures with implants, and the answer is yes. If your bones are strong enough and your dentist can determine if you are healthy enough, you can get implants instead of dentures. It’s going to cost more and will have a healing period, but you can get implants in place of dentures. They can also be made to look realistic.
You do need to find a dentist that is going to be able to do a full replacement of your teeth in terms of making sure that they are implants. Some dentists might not advise on that many implants being done all at the same time, but they might be able to help you find a great care plan that does allow you to really figure out when you can get your teeth done and how many teeth you can get replaced all at once.
Your dentist is going to work with you to help ensure that you know what risks you’re taking, to help you figure out how many teeth you can have done at once, and also create a care plan for the entire process. The information can be used to create natural looking dentures to replace missing teeth.
How Are Dental Implants Used in Reconstructive Dental Care?
Implants are a great way to help reconstruct the bite of a person that has been damaged. If you have teeth that are missing due to decay, accident, or other lifestyle choices, you can get implants to help replace teeth that have been lost. It’s a great way to really a great way to reconstruct the mouth and the bite without having to use dentures.
Your cosmetic dentist can help to determine what teeth can be replaced, they can use bone grafting to reconstruct the jaw bone for the teeth to take hold, and they can also use these implant teeth to make sure that your bite is safe and that it’s correct so that you can really feel good about your mouth, and so that you can also bite well and use your teeth in reconstructive dentistry.
Dental implants can be used for nearly anything, they can be used to help replace a tooth here or there that is missing due to accident, decay, or lifestyle choices. They can be used to do a full reconstruction where all teeth are replaced, or they can be used to just replace a few teeth that are missing.
Can Dental Implants Replace Wisdom Teeth?
Most dentists are not going to replace wisdom teeth with anything, especially dental implants. An implant has to have enough bone to hold onto and to anchor into. The area where the wisdom teeth are is often at the very back of the jaw, where the bone is smaller and there is less room. Most dentists are not going to replace wisdom teeth as they are not really needed.
Wisdom teeth are teeth that are often very hard to clean, very hard to reach, and even hard for your dentist to work on. This means that you’re not really going to need them and that it can be difficult for your dentist to even get to the area where your wisdom teeth are to implant them. Your dentist is likely going to remove any wisdom teeth that are damaged or that are in the incorrect position, and they are not likely to want to replace them in any way.
How Do Implants Compare to Bridges?
Still another of the most common frequently asked dental implant questions is how do these implants compare to dental bridges. So, to start, it’s helpful to figure out what a dental bridge is. A dental bridge is fake teeth that are used to help close a gap. These bridges are often abutted up to teeth that are still in the mouth, and they’re affixed to those teeth. This means that if those teeth fall out or become damaged, the bridge is also going to become damaged.
Implants can be more than one tooth, they can be used like a bridge with one single tooth anchoring a few teeth in place. You can also use individual teeth to fill the gap. You can use single implants for each missing tooth, or you can use a dental bridge that is one implanted tooth with the other two teeth affixed. This is a great way to fill the gap of several teeth without using a bridge that can become damaged and that can also fall out entirely.
Do All Cosmetic Dentists Offer Implants?
This is a question that you need to ask your dentist. While most cosmetic dentists are going to offer dental implants, not all of them do. There is a surgical element to dental implants, so if you choose a dentist that does not have a surgeon on hand, for example, you might not be able to do implants at that office. One of the biggest parts of cosmetic dentistry is implants. If you’re unsure if your dentist offers implants, take the time to talk with them and ask them if you need to get your implants done at another dentist’s office.
