How to decide if dental implants are right for you

At All on 4 Dental Implants Center in San Diego, we want to make sure you are as informed as possible about the onset and progression of tooth decay, the advantages of dental implants over other methods of tooth replacement, and the process of replacing your missing tooth with a natural-looking, fully functioning alternative.

Here are a few facts about dental implants to give you a better understanding about the treatment option and to determine whether a single dental implant , multiple dental implants or All on 4’s dental implants are the right fix for you:

From root to enamel, dental implants function just like your natural teeth.

The main advantage of dental implants over other tooth replacement procedures is the ability of implants to connect directly to the jawbone just like your teeth do naturally. When a tooth is missing, it no longer stimulates and stabilizes the bone, which causes the jawbone surrounding the missing tooth to deteriorate. When titanium dental implants are inserted in place of one’s tooth root, the titanium anchor biochemically bonds to the jawbone, replacing the root and all of its function, which prevents further deterioration of the jawbone.

Dental implants prevent bone decay.

Whenever you lose a tooth, your alveolar bone – the bone that holds your teeth in place beneath the surface — begins to deteriorate. Once the affected area begins to deteriorate, more tooth loss and shifting may occur nearby due to the destabilization of the region. Not only does this lead to more tooth loss, but the resulting damage can cause your weakening alveolar bone to leave you with an irregular bite and caved-in facial structure around your jawline as muscles, joints and even skin begin to wear away.

With the right treatment, bone decay can be reversed.

Even if you have already experienced bone decay, there is still hope for you to enjoy the vast benefits of dental implants. Through bone grafting, your dental professional can regenerate bone tissue in your jawbone and recreate a supportive foundation on which place your dental implants. The longer you allow your bone tissue to deteriorate after losing a tooth, however, the longer the bone grafting procedure may take to regenerate enough bone tissue to place your dental implants, so the sooner you visit your periodontist about dental implants, the better!

It takes time to place dental implants properly.

The dental implant procedure is a process that requires time. Dental implant treatments are actually a series of steps, which includes dental implant placements, time for the implants to fuse with the bone, and, finally, placement of one’s dental prosthetics. In some cases, bone grafting or tissue regeneration procedures may be required prior to placing any implants into the jawbone, which extends the timeline even longer. Throughout the transition period, however, you will never leave our office with missing teeth. We always make sure to set you up with temporary teeth placements while we give your staged treatments time to heal.

If you have any questions about dental implants or want to know if dental implants are right for you, contact All on 4 Dental Implants Center today.