Dental implants are much more common than they were in years past, and the latest technologies are rendering success rates of up to 99% for this kind of surgery. It’s true that many still go with removable dentures or bridges or some other tooth-loss solution, but dental implants are rising in popularity year on year.

What then, are the distinct advantages of getting dental implants? In answer to that question, let us look at what are, arguably, the five top reasons to opt for dental implants:

1. Better Functionality
The fact that the titanium “roots” of dental implants fuse firmly to your underlying bone mass rather than ride over your gums, like dentures or bridges, means you can chew better. And the implants won’t slip in your mouth like removable dentures can, so they won’t affect your natural speech patterns.

2. Improved Aesthetics
Implants, fitted with up to date tooth-mimicking dental crowns, will look more natural in your mouth than most dentures. You will be able to smile confidently again. And since you don’t remove implants during the evening or because you are tired of the feel of wearing them (like dentures), the natural look continues 24/7.

3. Enhanced Comfort
Dental implants sit in your mouth in the same way that natural teeth do. They will not rub along your gums or, like removable dentures, gradually cause sores and wear down your alveolar ridge bone. They are as comfortable as your natural teeth. You may well forget that you even have implants after wearing them for several months.

4. Easier Oral Care
There is not removing your permanent implants each day to clean them. There is no need to buy sticky pastes or special cleansing liquids. Nor will food get trapped under an implant since it is, after all, implanted into your jawbone. You simply care for your implant like you would any other tooth, and go in for a check-up once or twice annually.

5. Longer Durability
Dental implants last for decades. In fact, they typically last for a lifetime in most patients. And since there is no need to shave down nearby teeth to use as supports, as with bridges, implants help your other teeth to last longer too.

Who Can Get Dental Implants?
Almost anyone can get a dental implant. But you do need to first make sure you don’t have serious periodontal disease and that you do have sufficient bone mass to support the implant.

If there is no problem, and you only need one or a few implants, you can even likely get it all done in a single dental visit, in a matter of a few hours.

On the other hand, if you need preliminary bone graft surgery and/or soft tissue (periodontal) surgery, that would delay the implants. Your mouth might need several months to heal from the preparatory surgery before you could undergo dental implant surgery.

To learn more about whether getting one or more dental implants is right for you, feel free to contact periodontist Dr. Raymond A. Kenzik in Ormond Beach, FL, today!