Dental Implants: The Future of Tooth Replacement

Solutions like dental implants take years, even decades to fully develop. Today, we can proudly say that after centuries in the making, dental implants are at the very pinnacle of their development which makes them the future of dental prosthetics. We fully anticipate them to continue getting better, which is good news for you if you have lost or will lose a tooth in the future.

Other solutions have also advanced, making strides of their own, which helps to explain why there are some folks who still believe in the traditional methods of tooth replacement. The challenge, even with all of the advancements in products like bridges, is that they still rely on being attached to the teeth and gums using dental cement. Dentures are even less durable because they are a removable solution, which requires adhesive to be held in place. When you have dental implants installed, an expert dentist or oral surgeon will insert the implant into the jaw which makes the implant extremely secure while simultaneously preserving the integrity of the jawbone. What our McKinney dental office has found is when a person has a lot of concerns about dental implants, usually it is because they have not had a chance to sit down with a professional to understand how the prosthetic works, how it can be installed, and the instant improvement it will bring to their quality of life.

Before getting dental implants, many of our patients have questions and concerns. This is very typical when you are making a change that is permanent and influences something as important as your teeth. For those patients who already have a dental prosthesis, and are making the decision to switch, it is even more important to understand everything about dental implants. Typically people want to know how long the dental implants will last, what is the success rate with putting them in, and what is the recovery period after having the surgery. There is no definitive way to predict how long dental implants will last in your particular case. This is because there are too many variables to factor in, like will you take good care of your mouth or will you have gum disease? Outside of these factors, we know that implants can last anywhere from seven to thirty years or a lifetime, which is increased by good habits and taking care of your teeth. We also know that the success rate of dental implants is extremely impressive. Depending on which study you read, the success rate is above 93 percent, with our own success rate at around 98 percent.

When installing dental implants our McKinney dental office usually take it in stages. During each stage, we have the opportunity to make sure that everything is done perfectly, and make modifications as necessary. Between each of the stages, you will have ten to fourteen days to heal and recover. After completing the procedure, you will have to take another ten to fourteen days to allow the site to heal. We recommend that you take the entire two weeks, being extra careful with your diet, and allow the dental implant to set. While we know that dental implants take longer to recover from than procedures like a dental bridge, they are well worth it.  This is, after all, the only permanent way to replace missing teeth.