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Why It's Important to Replace Missing Teeth
If you have a missing tooth, the teeth surrounding the gap can begin to gradually shift out of place, leading to tooth misalignment and bite issues.
The jaw bone around the area of the lost tooth may also begin to deteriorate, affecting your ability to chew and speak, or causing facial collapse.
How Dental Implants Can Help
A dental implant functions much like the root of a natural tooth. Tooth roots stimulate the jaw bone and help keep it strong and healthy, preventing further deterioration and helping you speak and chew normally.
Dental implants can be used to fill the gap left by a single lost tooth, several missing teeth, or even a jaw full of missing teeth.
By replacing missing teeth, we can keep the remaining teeth from shifting into the empty space. Whether artificial or natural, correctly aligned teeth are easier to clean, so you'll be better able to brush and floss thoroughly. This helps prevent plaque and bacteria from building up along the gumline.
Can I Eat My Favourite Foods With Dental Implants?
Dental implants can help restore the full force of your bite and chewing power, allowing you to eat all your favourite healthy foods and enjoy the benefits of a nutritious diet.
While you'll need to eat soft foods in the weeks after your surgery, you'll soon be able to eat all the foods you may have missed after losing your teeth, including apples, nuts and popcorn. Remember to practice good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing daily.
The Dental Implant Process
To begin, your dentist will surgically implant a tiny titanium screw into your jaw bone below the gum tissue. As the tissue heals, the implanted screw gradually bonds with the bone and attaches to the gums.
While the implant area is healing, do not rush the recovery process and follow your dentist's instructions to care for your mouth and help prevent complications.
Once it is fully healed, you will return to our office so the implants can be capped with a suitable tooth replacement, such as a dental crown or denture.
Replacing the tooth will give your smile a healthy appearance, and allow you to eat and speak more naturally.
Dental Implant FAQs
Read the answers to our most frequently asked questions about dental implants at Cedars Dental.
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How long does a dental implant last?
Caring for your dental implant properly can help it to last a lifetime.
Fortunately, caring properly for your dental implants isn't complicated. Thorough brushing and flossing at home play a key role in preserving your overall oral health and your dental implant. Regular hygiene cleanings and exams at your dental office also help to ensure that your natural teeth and dental implants stay in great shape throughout your lifetime.
The longevity of your dental implant may also depend on other factors such as nutrition, genetics, or the development of any dental diseases.
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How do I care for my dental implants?
Care for a dental implant just like you care for your natural teeth.
See your dentist for regular hygiene appointments every six months and maintain a thorough brushing and flossing routine at home to help prevent decay or diseases from developing in the surrounding teeth and gums, which can negatively affect your dental implants.
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Does getting a dental implant hurt?
Your dentist will administer anesthesia prior to your dental implant surgery, to make you comfortable and to help ensure that you won't feel pain during the procedure.
Discomfort is typically minimal following dental implant surgery. Most patients can manage any pain they experience with an over-the-counter pain medication for a few days after the procedure.
You will also need to eat a soft diet for the first couple of weeks after the implant procedure to avoid pain or irritation.
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How long does the dental implant process take?
From start to finish, the entire dental implant process can take anywhere from about three to nine months, depending on your treatment plan.
Your dentist can provide you with a more specific timeline based on your particular case.
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Will my insurance cover dental implants?
Some insurance companies will cover the cost of dental implants, while some will only pay for a portion of the cost, and others won't pay for any part of it.
To determine what part, if any, of your dental implant treatment will be covered by your insurance, check with your insurance provider.