Dental implants are an investment in your oral health. They take time, patience, and detailed care from your dentist, but they are worth the effort – and the wait. Once an implant takes the place of a natural tooth root, your smile will be stronger and healthier. It isn’t always easy to wait to correct and complete your smile, but dental implants get the job done, permanently.
Possible Causes of Missing Teeth
There are several potential reasons for missing teeth that could make you a good candidate for dental implants:
- Accident. A blow to the mouth, from a sports injury to a fall, can knock out a tooth.
- Gum disease. If this gum infection grows and is left untreated, the gums eventually pull away from the teeth, making them loose in the socket until they fall out or must be pulled.
- Genetics. You were born without a particular permanent tooth, so it never erupted and left a space in your smile.
- Insurmountable damage. An accident of any kind that compromises the health and stability of a tooth can lead to damage that cannot be fixed with a root canal, crown, or composite filling. In cases like these, the tooth must undergo extraction and the recommendation is often to replace it with a dental implant.
Reasons Dental Implants Take Time
Dental implants are permanent dental restorations, and because they are long-lasting, they take time to complete. This advanced dental treatment is one of the strongest and most durable ways to replace a missing tooth anywhere in your mouth, and the effort to make it happen is worth the wait to ensure healthy teeth. Here are just a handful of things that can contribute to a lengthy timeline.
- Above and below the gumline restoration. Implants replace both tooth crown and root, making this an intricate process that requires several steps to complete. The implant itself needs to be surgically put in place and fuse with the jawbone for a solid restoration. This can take many months depending on the speed of healing.
- The possibility of a bone graft. The jawbone is supported by the dental implant, but it is necessary to determine first if the bone is strong enough for an implant. If a bone graft is needed to provide stability, this is a lengthy healing process.
- Gum disease clean-up. If you have periodontal disease in any stage, the gums need to be cleaned and treated thoroughly before any dental implant surgery can occur. Every dental restoration requires a strong, clean foundation.
Are Dental Implants Right for You?
If you want to replace missing teeth, a dental implant is the smart choice. The process can last for months because of preparation, other restorations, healing, compatibility, and the placement of the final crown. Ultimately, when you keep the goal in mind – a complete, beautiful smile – it’s easier to be patient about the unavoidable weeks and months of steps that belong to a dental implant restoration. Contact Chester Hill Dentistry in Rye, NY, to schedule a consultation with Dr. Chi Fu to find out if this treatment is right for you.