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A dental implant. |
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A dental implant is an artificial "root" that is implanted in your jaw after a tooth extraction, and then a tooth is placed on it. Biologically, it is like placing an entirely new artificial tooth in your mouth.
The advantages of an implant are: No teeth on either side have to be prepared for crowns, so there is no grinding on "good teeth" - you just fix the missing tooth. Implants can also span the space of multiple missing teeth. There is no limit to the span they can cover, as long as the patient's health is good and there is healthy and adequate bone to support the implant. An implant also is fixed and feels just like your own teeth. Read our more thorough discussion of implants, plus see before-and-after photographs, on our cosmetic dental implant page. |
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The disadvantages of implants are that they can cost more and be more and time-consuming, and the cost may not be covered by dental insurance. You will likely have to deal with two dentists - the dentist who does the surgery to place the implant, and the dentist who puts the false tooth on top of the implant. There is also a delay in getting the false tooth or teeth - a healing interval of several months may be required before the artificial root can have a tooth placed on it. There is also surgery involved with its attendant discomfort and healing period.
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However, if you are missing multiple teeth or all your teeth, there is a strong advantage to dental implants in that they will preserve the jawbone. Sometimes dentists don't explain the negative long-term consequences of missing teeth, which are that your jaw gradually shrinks until you can't wear any removable appliance. To read more about this, please see our page about facial collapse. So if you want to still be able to eat when you're 80, you may want to consider investing in dental implants to replace those missing teeth. |
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