Am I a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?

Losing one (or several) teeth isn't just a cosmetic issue — it causes discomfort and can affect how you speak and eat. It also makes you self-conscious and may interfere with your social life. If you’ve lost a tooth or several teeth in an accident, or from decay or gum disease, you're not alone. More than 120 million people in the U.S. have partial edentulism (missing one or more teeth) and nearly 40 million suffer from total edentulism (complete tooth loss).

Maintaining a full set of functional teeth is essential for your overall health and emotional well-being. Thankfully, Emery & Scuro DMD, PC in Rochester, New York, offers state-of-the-art dental implants to restore your oral health and put a smile back on your face.

In this month’s blog, our dental experts share more about the benefits of dental implants and describe what makes you a good candidate for the treatment.

Dental implants defined

Dental implants permanently solve the problem of missing teeth, unlike removable dentures. They consist of three main parts:

A titanium post that serves as a replacement tooth root.
An abutment that connects the post to the crown.
A crown that serves as the visible artificial tooth.

You’ll need several appointments to complete the dental implant process. After your consultation, you’ll return for one of our skilled dentists to surgically insert the titanium post into your jawbone.

After the post integrates with the bone, you’ll return to get the abutment. Once your gums heal from the abutment installation, our team makes an impression of your teeth and customizes a crown to place atop the abutment.

Dental implants benefits

Dental implants offer some compelling reasons to consider them over other tooth replacement options. Implants:

Look and feel like natural teeth
Fit seamlessly into gaps left by missing teeth
Are durable and reliable
Make eating more comfortable
Improve the clarity of your speech
Reduce jawbone deterioration
Stimulate jawbone growth

The best benefit of all, dental implants boost your self-confidence and make you want to smile again.

Are you a good candidate?

Even with all of their benefits, dental implants may not be right for you. Ideal candidates:

Have healthy gums and jawbones
Practice excellent oral hygiene
Don’t have gum disease
Are in good overall health
Commit to the recovery process

If you smoke, you’ll need to stop to be approved for the surgery. Diabetes and cancer treatments can complicate your recovery, so talk to your dentist about the medications you take and your specific condition.

Ready to get started?

Dental implants are a highly effective alternative to natural teeth and can significantly improve your quality of life. To meet with an experienced family dentist and determine if dental implants will work for you, schedule a consultation with us. Call now or request an appointment online.