A great smile is now seen as one of the most important physical characteristics for a person to possess. A straight smile is no longer enough. In the past five years alone, teeth whitening procedures have increased 300% in the U.S. The perfectly straight, white teeth people imagine they will have after a visit to your local dentist may just not be possible with their natural teeth. But an implant dentist may be able to help.
Our teeth are unique to us. Some may fit strangely in our mouths, while others may be slightly larger or smaller compared to the others surrounding it. Irregular teeth are are not that unusual, actually; they are fixable. Orthodontic procedures like braces can take a long time, up to a couple of years, before results are seen. When cavities or an accident cause a tooth to be removed, there is an unsightly gap, ruining a person’s smile.
As an implant dentist will tell you, dental implants show results instantly, and have a reported success rate of 98%. Implants are connected to a person’s jaw bone, just as a tooth root would be. This is what makes implants a long-term solution for people who have lost a tooth. The implant dentist will take a mold of your existing teeth to make sure the implant will fit seamlessly within your mouth. Then they will craft the implant so that it matches the color of the rest of your teeth. An implant dentist will sedate you during the procedure. Because the new tooth is anchored in the jaw bone and made to work with the rest of the teeth, patients who have had the procedure report that the pain is less than a root canal.
The procedure may sound extensive and somewhat painful, but it is better than the alternative. Our teeth are for more than smiles. Good teeth are important for chewing food; not flossing has been linked to increased heart disease, and bone loss occurs in people without any teeth, a frightening prospect for the approximately 31% of American adults over 75 without any teeth left.
Our teeth are an intensely personal subject. Perfect teeth are elusive. But no one should simply accept that they can never have a great smile. No matter what the problem is, there is a solution for your teeth problems. Speak to an implant dentist today if you are missing teeth, but are not ready for dentures.
