Dr. Jagan Mohan Reddy B.R

Dental implants are generally identified as substitutes for tooth roots. Besides, replacing damaged or decayed teeth, implants also provide a strong foundation for both permanent as well as removable replacement teeth.

Advantages
There are loads of advantages of dental implants:

1. Better overall appearance of teeth, since they are made to fuse with the bone
2. Unlike removable dentures, implants are much more comforting as well as convenient
3. Higher self-esteem as you will feel better about yourself
4. Improved speech quality in the long run
5. Eating becomes comparatively easier with implants rather than sliding dentures, because they function like your own teeth
6. Improved oral health
7. Good durability (can even last a lifetime if taken good care of)

Success rate
Generally, dental implants have a very impressive success rate (up to 98%). This can differ, however, based on the placement of the implants.

Who can go for dental implants?

1. Patients must have healthy gums
2. Must have sufficient bone strength to hold the implants in place
3. Must be dedicated to maintaining good oral hygiene
4. Must visit dentist regularly

Procedure
There are many steps involved in getting an implant:

1. An individualized treatment plan, addressing all your specific needs and prepared by a team of professionals, well versed in oral surgery and restorative dentistry
2. Placement of the tooth root implant into the bone socket of the missing tooth
3. Attachment of a small connector post known as an abutment, which securely keeps the new tooth intact
4. Attachment of a crown (the replacement tooth) to the abutment

The operation is normally administered under a local anesthesia. The whole process is not harmful at all, to say the least, and people have reported that a normal tooth extraction cause much more pain than a dental implant operation.

Related Tip: "Why You Must Not Delay Getting Your Dental Implants?"