If you are wondering whether you are a good candidate for dental implants, you probably already know why they are a popular missing teeth treatment. Katy Smile Design offers dental implants from the comfort of our Katy, TX cosmetic dentist office to help you achieve the healthy, functional, and beautiful smile you’ve been imagining. We believe in patient education and making sure every patient understands who is a good candidate for dental implants and what to expect during implant treatment.
What is a Dental Implant?
Dental implants are titanium posts designed to mimic that natural ingenuity of natural teeth. The implant is surgically placed in the jaw bone and is used to anchor prosthetic teeth in place. A single dental implant can be used to replace one missing tooth, or several dental implants can be used to secure a denture for a full arch of missing teeth.
Who Needs Dental Implants?
Many people get dental implants for a variety of reasons. Some of our patients are older and are missing several teeth, and have a full arch of dentures that are anchored by a few implants. Other patients have one or two missing teeth and choose implants to eliminate the gap left behind by a missing tooth. One of the reasons why implants are so popular is how versatile they are, so that almost anyone with missing teeth can benefit from them.
Who is a Good Candidate For Dental Implants?
To understand who needs implants and who is a good candidate for dental implants, let’s first discuss what implants are made of and how they work.
When you lose an adult tooth, it doesn’t grow back, and it leaves behind a gap in your smile and an empty root in the jaw. Without a tooth in place, the jaw tissue can recede, which can put the surrounding teeth at risk of becoming unstable or even cause a sunken appearance to the face. Dental implants replace not just the gap in your teeth, but the missing tooth root, which keeps the jawbone tissue healthy. The implant itself is a tiny metal post that a local oral surgeon will insert into your jaw, which will integrate into the jawbone over three to six months. Then, you’ll return to Katy Smile Design to complete the restoration, which involves attaching the false tooth that will complete your smile.
As you can see, dental implants are a good tooth replacement treatment for a variety of patients. Anyone who is missing one, a few, or all of their teeth can be a good candidate for dental implants. The most important factor for dental implants is healthy jaw bone tissue so that the implant can heal and fuse into your jaw. If it has been a long time since you lost your teeth or you had significant tooth decay, you may need bone grafts to help improve your jaw tissue stability.
Dental Implants at Katy Smile Design
You deserve to have the smile of your dreams, and Katy Smile Design can let you know if you are a good candidate for dental implants. Schedule a consultation with our dental implant team today or call 281.843.9814 today!