People lose teeth for many different reasons. In some cases, an unfortunate accident knocks out an incisor or a molar; in others, decay makes the tooth impossible to salvage and the only option is to have the remains pulled out.
While losing one or more teeth is clearly uncomfortable and inconvenient, there is a common misconception that a missing tooth is primarily an aesthetic problem — a gap in your smile, something that makes it a bit harder to speak. But the truth is that in addition to being unsightly, missing teeth are also a health risk.
Until recently, the only option for people who were missing one or more teeth was a denture or bridge. But due to the progress in dental technology and methods, it is now possible to permanently replace missing teeth using implants.
What is an Implant?
An implant is different from a denture or bridge because it doesn’t just replace the visible part of the tooth, but also provides you with a new root — in fact, technically a dental implant is simply a replacement root to which a synthetic tooth has been attached.
A dental implant is surgically inserted into your jawbone alongside the rest of your teeth using a screwlike post that mimics the natural root. This provides a foundation for a new tooth made from metal, porcelain, or plastic.
We take care to ensure that the new tooth matches the colour, size, and shape of the teeth around it, so when you get dental implants in Hamilton it is usually impossible to tell which teeth are real and which are artificial.
Dental Implants Make Your Smile Healthier
In addition to making your smile whole, dental implants contribute to your oral health in a variety of ways. For example:
- Implants Make Chewing Easier: If you’re missing a tooth, it can make it hard to eat normally, which can cause people to avoid foods like crunchy vegetables that are known to boost oral health.
- Implants Keep Your Teeth Intact: Over time, a missing tooth will put extra pressure on the teeth around the gap, causing them to drift. Unlike dental bridges, which require neighbouring teeth to be altered and reduced, implants don’t affect the rest of your teeth.
- Implants Preserve Bone Density: When a tooth is extracted, it leaves the socket empty. This can cause the bone around the socket to degenerate, weakening that section of your jaw and reducing bone density. This can have long-term negative impacts on your oral health that can be quite hard to fix down the road.
- Implants Keep Gums Healthy: Empty space in your mouth can become a breeding ground for bacteria that weaken teeth and gums alike. This can lead to tenderness, inflammation, and periodontitis.
As you can see, implants might technically be a cosmetic procedure, they can help restore the structural integrity of your entire mouth, making it easier to brush, floss, and protect your teeth and gums from harmful bacteria. This in turn has an effect on things like halitosis and other unpleasant symptoms of oral decay.
If you’ve lost a tooth due to injury or rot, it is important to remember that filling the gap with an implant as soon as possible is essential not only for improving your self-confidence and reducing self-consciousness, but also for the health of your mouth as a whole.
How is Dental Implant Surgery Performed?
At Dentistry on 7th we serve a variety of implant needs. Whether you’ve lost a single tooth or need to have your entire mouth re-done, our approach is designed to get your smile back to normal as quickly, safely, and painlessly as possible.
If you want to switch from dentures to implants, we use the All-on-Four Implant System, which anchors a full set of teeth on four titanium posts drilled into the jaw. These posts will hold your new, custom set of teeth in place indefinitely. We understand that once you’ve started this process, you’ll want to be able to start using your teeth as soon as possible, which is why we guarantee you a new set of teeth in 24 hours.
When it comes to the surgery itself, we use state-of-the-art tools like single-tooth anaesthesia systems, the Fotona Lightwalker, and 3D cone beam scans to perform surgery quickly and safely, and without unnecessary discomfort. At Dentistry on 7th, you can get your implants in and get back to your normal life as quickly as possible (you can learn about our office technology here).
Typically, it takes around three months for the bone to grow around the titanium posts, but once the healing is finished, your new teeth have a solid foundation. With proper care, they will last you the rest of your life.
Find Out If Implants are Right for You
If you’ve just lost a tooth, or have been relying on dentures and bridges for several years but want to upgrade to implants, the first thing you should do is get in contact with our Hamilton dental office to ask for a consultation. We offer consultations about implants at no cost, so if this is an option you want to know more about, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Our team has extensive experience with dental implant surgery, and even if you’ve had dentures for years and your jawbone has grown soft (or isn’t thick enough to support the implant), we offer bone grafts to ensure that your mouth can support the posts and your new set of teeth.
Like any other high-tech medical procedure, tooth implants come at a cost. But we are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the high-quality care that can improve their daily lives and ensure their oral health for years to come, which is why we accept many types of insurance. For those who are uninsured, we have a variety of financing options so you can pay for your care on a timeline that works for you.
If you want to recover the smile you once had, tooth implants are a long-lasting and reliable option. Whether you’ve just lost a tooth or are tired of using dentures, call Dentistry on 7th and book your implant consultation today!