Each stage of life presents unique dental health challenges. The aging adult is not excluded. In fact, seniors are at risk for some very specific dental problems, including those that can sabotage your dental implants. Just because you have replacement teeth doesn’t mean you are exempt from the oral health problems that commonly plague the aging adult.

Dental implants serve the sole purpose of replacing teeth that are missing. This includes teeth that were lost due to disease, decay or trauma, as well as teeth that may not have been present when you were born. Your mouth is composed of 32 teeth. Besides your 4 wisdom teeth, you need all of the others to be present to achieve ideal alignment, function and appearance within your smile.

Adults aren’t the only ones who can lose a permanent tooth. Children can experience tooth loss during accidental trauma or other situations. However, when it comes to replacing that missing tooth, dental implants may not be the immediate solution. While it is rare to say someone is too old for dental implants, it is possible to be too young.

Dental implant surgery is one of the most life-changing oral surgeries available. By surgically implanting titanium posts into the jawbone, patients can gain a healthy, stable and beautiful smile after missing teeth. However, since dental implants require precise placement and an important healing period to be successful, there are a few qualifications that patients must meet before getting implants.

Depending on how many you have, missing teeth can make chewing and speaking a difficult task. In addition, other teeth often migrate towards the open space, which disrupts the alignment of your smile. Missing teeth, however, an also put years on your appearance, making you look much older than you really are. While it is easy to see how missing front teeth can jeopardize your aesthetics, missing molars can also contribute to an aged appearance.

Dental implants are unlike any other teeth replacement method. They have the unique design of being anchored into the jawbone, giving patients the ability to have an artificial tooth as well as an artificial tooth root. This offer numerous benefits, ranging from bone loss prevention and minimal maintenance to improved stability and a better quality of life.

If you’ve never replaced a past missing tooth or you’ve been wearing removable dentures for several years, you may be wondering if getting dental implants is still an option. While the complexity of the case is unique to each patient, the answer is almost always yes. As long as there is enough bone remaining to insert a dental implant, it is never too late to reap the benefits of this remarkable restorative solution.

Dental implants are known for their remarkable success rate of over 98%! However, this doesn’t mean that implants are immune to complication or even failure. Dental implants must be cared for just like your natural teeth. And just like any surgical procedure on your body, dental implant surgery involves some long-term risks. Though rare, peri-implantitis is among those risks.

Are you missing a tooth? There are many reasons why teeth go missing and just as many excuses for not replacing them. Patients often avoid tooth replacement due to cost or when the absent tooth doesn’t jeopardize their smile appearance.

Considering dental implants to replace your missing teeth? You probably have questions about your candidacy, the recovery and the procedure itself. Dental implants are the gold standard solution in restorative dentistry.