Dental implants are a popular solution for tooth loss that boasts a 98% success rate when properly completed. Gladstein Dental Center has 28 years of experience in providing these services for patients in the New Britain, CT, area. Here, the team summarizes how this procedure can save your smile and who is a good candidate for dental implants, allowing you to decide what’s right for you.

How Dental Implants Save Your Smile

Dental implants are false replacements for your natural teeth, typically placed following extractions or injury. A titanium rod that acts as the root is implanted to the jawbone. Over the course of three to five months, the jaw will fuse to the titanium. At that point, you’re ready to return to the dentist to have the permanent porcelain implant put in place.

Not only do dental implants improve appearance, but they provide a number of benefits that can also save the rest of your smile. For example, properly placed dental implants prevent natural teeth from shifting position. Teeth that move risk overcrowding or positioning in such a way that makes cleaning difficult, leading to plaque buildup and cavities. Further, a smile with many missing teeth can become misshapen and sag over time, but dental implants will protect against this change.

The implant also fortifies your jawbone. This benefit is important because if the jawbone were to deteriorate, more teeth could follow suit until you’re looking at total tooth loss and being fitted for dentures.

Porcelain implants also protect the natural teeth they are placed next to. A gap leaves your natural tooth exposed on the side, which is more surface area for tartar and injury. A strong dental implant to fill the gap will offer physical protection for years to come.

Who’s a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Almost anyone experiencing minor to total tooth loss can be a candidate for dental implants. As long as you have a typically healthy jawbone and gum line, a dentist can work with you to form and fit these teeth for a long-term solution to your problem. Patients with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or cancer, are not good candidates for this procedure, as their bodies may struggle to heal.

While dental implants can become expensive, they are the most effective solution for long-term teeth replacement. If you’re looking for a team to provide honest consultation and quality treatment throughout the procedure, look no further than Gladstein Dental Center. Give the team a call at (860) 223-1162 or visit their website to request an appointment.