Having a gap in your teeth can be embarrassing. According to the AIHW, Australian men and women have an average of 4 missing teeth.
Having neat, clean-looking teeth is important, as it is often the first thing people notice. Having missing teeth and want a permanent solution that looks and feels good, dental implants might be the solution.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are part of a surgical procedure during which a titanium post is fixed into a jaw bone socket. Over time the jaw and post fuse which essentially creates a permanent root for a ceramic crown. The good part about dental implants is that it is not necessary to pull them out like dentures every time we go to sleep. Moreover, they last for a lifetime.
Why Are Dental Implants The Right Option?
Having in mind that dental implants are permanent, they are less expensive than other tooth-replacement options like dentures in the long run. They also keep the jaw bone structure intact and healthy. According to studies, long-term implant success is at about 97%, with only a small number of people being unsuitable for the procedure. [2] This means we pay only once unlike with dentures that need to be replaced every few years, besides being ineffective, uncomfortable and requiring additional pastes, and so on. When adding everything up, the tally is clear: dental implants come out on top.
Are Dental Implants a Fad or the Future?
Dental Implants are definitely the future. More than 3 million Americans have dental implants, with half a million new implants planted each year, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. [3] They might have once been a luxury procedure, but prices have since come down, and now the price of an implant can be as low as $500, instead of thousands. Furthermore, dental implant quality is getting better and better each year due to new techniques, materials, tools, and different designs. Demand is also growing, which is driving prices down.
Dental Implants Can Improve Quality of Life
Anyone with one or more missing teeth knows how much that can affect confidence with family, friends, and colleagues. Even worse, people might start avoiding regular dentist appointments which can lead to more problems with the teeth down the line, some of which can be quite serious.
Opting for dental implants will let the dentist do a complete examination of the mouth and teeth. And once the oral health is in check and our old smile is back, people will realize how much they can boost the quality of life.
Will My Insurance Cover Dental Implants?
In most cases, dental insurance plans won’t pay out for dental implants because they consider them a cosmetic procedure. Fortunately, it is possible to find clinics with affordable financing programs that will provide a monthly payment plan. But before choosing a dentist, it is always better to compare prices in or near the city people are. Another affordable option is to let dental students perform the procedure under close guidance from an experienced professional.
Whatever root chosen, know that people will become a proud owner of a great smile once dental implants are complete. More importantly, the new teeth will feel almost like natural ones and will probably last for the rest of our life.
[1]https://www.ada.org.au/WorldOralHealthDay2019
[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4050226/
[3]https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-dentalimplants-patient-percept/patients-can-spot-trouble-with-new-dental-implants-idUSKCN0PJ2GQ20150709https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4028797/