Littleton Prosthodontist Offers Facts About Dental Implants
The popularity of dental implants as a tooth replacement therapy has grown almost exponentially over the past decade or two. The reasons for this are twofold: dental implant technology has advanced to make them far more effective than ever before, the increase in the popularity of dental implants has made them affordable to many more patients, and a national dental office franchise has been relentlessly promoting dental implants as a one-size-fits-all solution to total tooth replacement... However, the facts about dental implants are a bit different.
Dental implants are a viable, cost-effective tooth replacement therapy
First, dental implant technology, processes, and procedures have advanced beyond anything we might have hoped for just 10 years ago. These advances have also made dental implants less expensive, relative to other tooth replacement therapies. Finally, the use of dental implants to anchor dental prosthetics has made the installation of bridges and fitting of dentures much more effective, secure, and comfortable than in the past.
However, the placement of dental implants requires dental surgery – the insertion of titanium screws into the jaw bone to anchor your new, prosthetic teeth, mimicking the work of the tooth root you've lost. Any surgery, including oral surgery, involves a healing process which, depending on the individual, may take as much six months. While a temporary prosthetic tooth replacement may be available at the time of placement of your dental implants, as the healing process progresses and any swelling goes down, you will need to have your permanent prosthetic fitted, fabricated, and placed.
An immediate, permanent tooth replacement therapy, also known as "replace teeth in a day," is a viable option for a very small number of tooth replacement patients. For most, replacing your teeth with dental implants will require three to six months for the perfect fit.
Dr. Kaushal Dhawan and staff at The Colorado Center for Implant and Prosthetic Dentistry are available to help you determine effective solutions to all of your dental problems. If you would like more information from your Littleton area Prosthodontist, please call to make an appointment today.