If you’re missing one or more teeth, you can consider dental implants as a method of choice for replacing your missing teeth. A dental implant is typically a tiny titanium post that is inserted in the jaw and attaches to a dental crown to replace the missing tooth.
There are many reasons why a tooth should be replaced, including cavities, fractures, periodontal disease, loose teeth, bone loss, painful teeth, crooked teeth, missing teeth, swollen gums, loss of support, failed dental work, poor-fitting dentures, injury or trauma, and medical problems.
The top 8 reasons to get a dental implant are:
- Enhanced appearance: Dental implants fuse with the underlying bone and so are permanent and non-removable. Also, they look and feel like natural teeth, so unlike removable prostheses (aka dentures), they look more attractive and natural.
- Greater comfort and convenience: If you’re using a removable denture, the latter may cause sore spots in the mouth. With dental implants, there are no sore spots. Also, removable dentures need to be taken out at night and cleaned, which is rather embarrassing and inconvenient. Dental implants work like natural teeth and can be cleaned by regular brushing and flossing, just like other permanent teeth.
- Easier eating: Removable dentures can slide during eating, thereby making it a messy and unpleasant activity. The ability to chew foods improves dramatically with dental implants. Dental implants are 80% as efficient as natural teeth when compared to 25% for removable dentures. With dental implants, eating becomes an enjoyable and fulfilling activity again.
- Improved ability to taste food: A removable denture covers the roof of the mouth and food cannot be tasted as easily. Dental implants do not cover the roof of the mouth and so, food can be tasted more easily and better.
- Improved speech: With removable dentures, speech can be garbled and difficult to understand. The dentures may slip, resulting in mumbling or slurred speech. Dental implants do not slip in the mouth and result in normal speech.
- Cannot be lost, as well as long-lasting: Dentures can be removed from the mouth and can also be misplaced and lost. Dental implants cannot be removed and so, cannot be lost. Also, if taken care of, dental implants can last a lifetime and do not need to be replaced.
- Protects existing teeth: If a dental implant is not used to replace missing teeth, the surrounding teeth can deteriorate just like the jawbone. This can result in an increase in missing teeth over time.
- Greater and improved bone growth: As opposed to dentures, dental implants act as natural teeth and aid in bone stimulation and growth. Dentures, on the other hand, become more difficult to wear over time, due to continuing bone loss.
If you have missing teeth, contact us at the Harbour Pointe Oral Surgery & Advanced Dental Implant Center. We specialize in dental implants and treat each patient holistically. Our Dental Implants provide a comfortable and permanent solution that can last a lifetime.
The procedure to place an implant begins with a detailed patient consultation and then typically takes only 30 to 60 minutes for a single implant and only 2 to 3 hours for multiple implants. Note that the number of appointments and time can vary from patient to patient.
At Harbour Pointe, we treat every person as if they were a part of our family.
So, don’t wait any longer. Contact Harbour Pointe and rest easy knowing you’re in good hands.
For more information on dental implants and their insertion, contact Dr. Brian Hart or Dr. Kathleen Isdith at 425-353-1009 or at hporalsurgery@gmail.com.