Are you ready to smile with confidence, knowing you have a healthy mouth? Learn everything you need to know about dental implants.

You took care of your teeth as the dentist instructed, but the years of wear and tear took a toll on your dental health. Now, they're talking about sending you to get implants!

Even though dental health technology has advanced leaps and bounds over the years, about 3 million Americans have implants in their mouths right now and another 500,000 join that list each year! So, don't beat yourself up over it.

To help you understand more about this kind of dental work, we put together a quick guide. Keep reading to learn all about dental implants before you make your implant appointment.

What Are Dental Implants?

Types of Dental Implants

There are two main kinds of implants used in dental work both with benefits and drawbacks. Make sure to discuss these options with your oral surgeon before you make any decisions.

Endosteal

The dentist sets these implants into the jawbone. Most of the time, these are tiny titanium screws that a new tooth fits onto.

This is the most common kind of implant used in modern dentistry in the United States

Subperiosteal

The other kind of oral implants are not placed into the jawbone but under the gum. The implant sits on, or right above the jawbone.

Advantages of Implants

As we mentioned before, implants help prevent bone loss resulting from missing teeth. But, there are a ton of other important benefits of getting implants in your mouth. Here are a few of our favorite reasons to get implants.

Make Your Smile Brighter

It's hard to smile when you know you're missing teeth or other dental issues. A great dentist can match the new false teeth to your teeth for a bigger, brighter, natural-looking smile.

No More Denture Lisp 

If you've ever had dentures, you know that they slip around in your mouth from time to time. When that happens, it makes talking difficult and can distort your pronunciation. Implants won't move around and prevent you from having any speech impediment from loose dentures.

More Comfortable

Wearing dentures doesn't feel natural or normal, even if you wear them for a long time. Getting used to implants is like having your natural teeth back where they belong.

Eating with Ease

Since implants act and look like your natural teeth, they also function like your normal teeth. That means less difficulty and pain when you eat or chew!

Better for Your Remaining Teeth

Getting a dental bridge involves reducing the surrounding teeth a bit to accommodate the bridge structure. Your trusted dentist won't need to grind down your remaining teeth to get the implants in, so it's better for the health of the rest of your teeth.

Durability

One of the most awesome benefits of implants is that, if you care for them well, they can last a lifetime! Meaning you won't need to spend more money later on replacement dentures or bridges.

Convenience

Denture wearers hate that they need to use different kinds of adhesives to keep their dentures in place. The extra maintenance gets annoying over time. You treat implants like your regular teeth, so they're as easy as caring for your own teeth!

Who Is a Good Candidate

For the most part, if you can get a tooth removed, you can go through an implant procedure. All you need is enough bone to support the implant and healthy gums!



Dentists will look at those patients who smoke often, people suffering from health issues like diabetes, heart disease, or patients who had radiation therapy done on their head or neck on a case by case basis to make sure there are no complications. If you have a health concern, be sure to bring it up with your Hampton dentist during the consultation.

Paying the Implant Bill

Dental bills aren't cheap! It's a fact that has many Americans avoiding their dentist's office like the plague.



The cost of dental care has gotten so high these days that 56% of Americans only get dental care when they need an emergency procedure! Of course, by that point, the dentist needs to do major work and that costs even more money!

Most dental insurance plans in the US don't cover oral implants at the moment, so be sure to know whether your plan covers this procedure before getting into the chair. If your insurance plan won't cover the fees, ask your dentist about installment plans.

Another option is to apply for a health-related credit card. Though you can only use them on medical purchases, sometimes you can catch a lower interest or interest-free deal for certain procedures and/ or dentists.

Dental Implant Process

Like any other surgery, there are several steps or phases of the procedure. Here's a quick rundown of the implant process you can expect.

Preparations

The first step is to have an in-depth consultation where your dentist will discuss your treatment plan options. Though you should trust the judgment of your dentist, ask questions, or raise concerns if you have any.

Installation

The dental implants procedure happens in two phases. The first step is when the dentist implants the titanium post(s) where the new tooth will sit. Then, after six to twelve weeks of healing time, the dentist fits the new tooth to the embedded post.

Aftercare Tips

The best part about implants is that you care for them like your natural teeth! Make sure to brush, floss, and use mouthwash and your implants should last the rest of your life.

Making the World a Better Place, One Smile at a Time

These kinds of dental procedures are so common that most dental surgeons can complete one almost on autopilot. There's no reason to panic about the procedure.



If you do feel anxiety about your upcoming dental implant procedure, be sure to let your dental surgeon know. They may have helpful suggestions or offer to write you a prescription for medicine to help you relax during your visit.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that you learned a few things about dental implants. If you have any questions about this article or if you need dental implant services in Hampton, VA, contact Lejeune Family Dentistry today!