Why Choose a Dental Implant - Village Dental Clinic

Quick summary

A dental implant replaces the root of a missing tooth as well as the crown, which is what sets it apart from a bridge or a partial denture. Because the jawbone fuses to the implant, it keeps being stimulated and shrinks far less. Implants also leave the neighbouring teeth untouched, are cleaned like natural teeth, and need no adhesives or clasps to stay in place.

Tooth loss is a common occurrence – millions of people suffer tooth loss – primarily as a result of gum disease, tooth decay or facial trauma. For years, the only treatment options available to those missing a tooth were partial dentures or bridges. Today, dental implants are available as an alternative. If you have lost a tooth, you may wonder why you should choose a dental implant over a bridge or partial denture.

Following are some of the advantages of dental implants:

Dental implants prevent bone loss. Without the tooth root, the bone of the jaw begins to shrink, or resorb, causing problems with remaining teeth and changing the shape of the face. Dental implants serve as replacement roots for the tooth, and continue to stimulate and preserve the bone. When an implant is used, the jawbone fuses to the metal implant in a process known as osseointegration, reducing bone shrinkage significantly.
Dental implants look better. They feel, look and function like your own natural teeth. Because they fuse directly with your bone, they become permanent, and with proper care, never need to be replaced.
Dental implants fit better. They are more comfortable and are easier to clean. Because they are so secure, you will speak more clearly and eat with greater confidence and comfort.
Dental implants will improve your oral health. Implants don’t affect the surrounding teeth the way a bridge does. Your natural teeth remain intact, allowing for easier greater health and cleaning around each tooth.
Dental implants are convenient. They never have to be removed to clean under them, nor do they need adhesives or wire to stay in place.
Dental implant surgery has a very high success rate. They are durable and can last a lifetime if you care for them properly.

If you are healthy enough to undergo an extraction of your tooth, you can generally be considered for dental implant surgery. You must have enough healthy bone and soft tissue to hold the implant. Talk to your dentist today if you have questions regarding dental implants and whether they are a right choice for you.

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Questions patients ask us about this

What happens to the jaw when a tooth is not replaced?

Without a root to stimulate it, the bone of the jaw begins to shrink, or resorb. That causes problems for the teeth still there and gradually changes the shape of the face. An implant acts as a replacement root and keeps stimulating the bone, which is why it reduces that shrinkage where a bridge or denture cannot.

How is an implant different from a bridge?

A bridge is anchored to the teeth either side of the gap, so those healthy teeth have to be trimmed down to carry it. An implant stands on its own in the jaw, so the neighbouring teeth are left intact and can still be cleaned around individually. That difference is as much about long-term oral health as it is about the gap itself.

Am I likely to be suitable for an implant?

As a general guide, if you are healthy enough to have a tooth taken out you can usually be considered for an implant, provided there is enough healthy bone and gum to hold it. That is something to be assessed properly rather than assumed, which is what an examination of the site is for.

Where to read more on this at Village Dental Kogarah

Reading about it only gets you so far. These are the pages that explain how our dentists in Kogarah actually treat it, and what a visit involves.

Village Dental Kogarah is at Shop 5/23-26 Station St, Kogarah NSW 2217. Eight clinicians work across our two Sydney practices, including a dental prosthetist — meet the team. We look after patients from Kogarah, Kogarah Bay, Rockdale, Bexley, Bexley North, Carlton, Allawah, Banksia, Monterey and Sans Souci. If you would like to talk it through, call (02) 9281 0007 or book a time online.

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A note on this articleThis is general information written for patients, not dental advice for your own mouth. Teeth, gums and medical histories differ, and so does what suits them, so please have a dentist examine you before deciding on any treatment. If something in your mouth is painful, bleeding or has been knocked out, ring us on (02) 9281 0007 rather than waiting.