Am I a Good Candidate for a Dental Implant?

To replace one or more missing teeth, dental implants are a very effective solution. They restore the function to a tooth and offer more stability than other solutions, such as bridges or dentures. Because of these reasons, you may be considering this treatment for yourself, but are you a good candidate? Most likely, the answer will be yes. Most people – of any age – are good candidates for dental implants. As long as you are in good health, you can receive dental implants. Because they are inserted directly into the jaw bone, your dentist will also check to make sure that you have sufficient bone density to support the implants. Even if it is found that you are lacking, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to receive the treatment. It may just mean that you will require a bone graft prior to the implant procedure. This additional procedure takes bone from another source (either from your own body or from a donor) and applied to the jaw to build up the bone in that area. Once the graft has fused with the natural bone, the implants can be placed. Dental implants can be used to replace a single missing tooth, several consecutive teeth (instead of dentures or bridges), or even a full set of teeth (instead of dentures). They are usually topped with a dental crown to fully restore the aesthetics of your smile. Because they are fused directly into the jaw bone, implants provide the same function as the natural teeth and can last a lifetime. A dental implant procedure can sound daunting, but it is considered by many dentists as the gold standard of tooth replacement, and if it’s performed by an experienced dentist, you have nothing to worry about. If you would like to learn more about the procedure or your candidacy for it, be sure to book an appointment with your dentist for a consultation. He or she will assess your mouth, including the health of the gums, bone support, and overall general health. A treatment plan will then be created to suit your specific needs.