Dental implants are considered effective and safe by some contemporary dentists for replacing missing teeth. They have been in use for over 30 years. They are normally made of titanium.
The metal is bio compatible and is often not rejected by the body. It serves as a sturdy and strong foundation for replacement teeth. Your jaw bone attaches itself to the implant, locking the metal in place.
Safe Surgical Procedures
A surgical procedure is necessary to embed an implant into the jaw bone. When this surgery is performed by an experienced and trained dentist, it is a safe and most predictable procedure. It may take up to six months for osseointegration to take place.
A dental implant is probably one of the best devices to have to support your replacement teeth. Once teeth are fixed on the implant, they perform just like your natural teeth. The replacement teeth are not loose nor do they shift or move around when you eat or talk as badly fitting dentures do.
However, not all dentists agree on the safety of dental implants.
Bacteria and Viruses Infections
With an implant in your mouth, good oral hygiene is very important. One downside, however, of having an implant is that bacteria and viruses tend to target such foreign objects in your body and form colonies around them. The immune system is unable to fight of infections in such a setting as effectively as it would anywhere else.
You can also suffer nerve damage from having an implant, which results in pain and numbness. Your sinuses, blood vessels and other teeth can also be injured. Because of such risks, some doctors seem to recommend a bridge, as opposed to having a foreign object implanted in your jaw.
Missing Teeth
Some people prefer to stay with missing teeth in their mouth as opposed to having an implant. This is often not a good option. There are a number of negative effects of having gaps on your jaw.
Your jaw will not close as it does when you have all your teeth. Your jaw joint, your bite and your remaining teeth all have problems because other teeth will tend to bend towards the missing tooth gap. This will influence the amount of food you can chew comfortably and even how you chew.
Gaps also help promote tooth decay and gum disease because they trap food. Aesthetically, a gap in the jaw is not a pleasing site. What is probably the worst effect of a gap is that the bone in the jaw begins to dissolve.
You may have to decide for yourself on how safe an implant is. Choose if you want a bridge or implant and let a professional get you taken care of.
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