Are You a Candidate For Dental Implants?

By R.S. Mayberry, DDS

Mayberry Dental

. https://www.mayberrydental.com/

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Are You a Candidate For Dental Implants?

People want their teeth to be healthy, function well and be attractive. That's a lot to ask, but it's what we want, and most people spend a lot of time, effort and money to turn these desires into reality. If missing teeth is one of your concerns, then the good news is that dental implants are now available and offer you a better option than ever before.

Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth or soon to be lost teeth. They are the most long-lasting permanent dental restoration provided today. Replacing teeth with dental implants has distinct advantages over all other tooth replacement procedures.

First, they don't decay, which makes them the longest lasting dental restoration possible. One of the most discouraging facts patients discover after undergoing extensive dental treatment is associated with new tooth decay in difficult to clean areas, which can result in having to redo or lose those previously restored teeth.

As people get older their mouths become dryer as part of the aging process; additionally there are many medications for blood pressure and other medical conditions that cause dry mouth. A dry mouth is the number one cause of tooth decay in older people and is very difficult to control.

Second, dental implants are stronger than natural teeth, especially teeth treated with root canals, which are very brittle and weak. There is a higher incidence of failures in teeth that have had root canal treatment, especially back teeth.

Re-infection and fracture are common problems associated with such teeth. Cases where infected teeth become saturated with bacteria, because they can't be completely sterilized, even with the best root canal treatment, are subject to re-infection and eventual failure. In many cases it may be better to remove those teeth and replace them with dental implants to avoid future failure and the disappointment of a lost tooth and the associated investment.

Third, dental implants can be used to replace a single or multiple teeth, or act as a supporting foundation to stabilize dentures or other removable false teeth. Dental implants are the most durable and long lasting dental restoration done today, there are studies showing long term dental implant success in the 90 percent range for over 50 years. Once in place, implants can strengthen the jawbone, rather than weaken it, the way conventional bridgework, and removable false teeth do.

The American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry (ABOI) is a dental implant competence testing and certifying organization in the United States.

The ABOI rigorously tests the competence of the doctors that present for certification, in terms of their knowledge and ability to practice implant dentistry.