Are you sick of messy denture adhesives and slippage when you’re eating or talking? Are dealing with the pain of a broken or severely cracked tooth?
Maybe dental implants can solve these problems for you?
No matter which situation describes yours, Dr. J. Stephen Hoard in New Bern NC, would like you to be educated about dental implants so please read on as we elaborate on 6 important warning signs that you may need dental implants.
1. You have a severely cracked tooth or a broken tooth.
Dental crowns or dental implants may be your only options if you have teeth that are badly cracked or broken. While dentists usually strive to save as much of the tooth structure as possible, some teeth are damaged beyond repair. If this is the case, tooth extraction and an implant might be your best option. If you do need an implant, it will be designed by your dentist to match with and function just like your natural teeth.
2. You are missing one or more of your natural teeth.
Gaps in your smile caused by missing teeth can be unsightly and embarrassing, making you self-conscious about using your to teeth to smile, talk or eat in public. Your dental implant will be embedded in the space where your lost tooth lived, looking natural to yourself and others.
3. Your partials and dentures are loose-fitting.
Dentures or partials can be embarrassing and frustrating to deal with on a daily basis with their tendency to slip. Implants are an excellent alternative to these as no slippage is possible due to their being permanently attached. Your dentures falling out when you’re talking or eating will no longer be a worry.
4. You are beginning to lose jaw bone tissue.
Did you know that dental implants actually stimulate growth of jaw bone tissue? The part of the implant that is inserted in the jawbone and acts as the artificial tooth root is made of titanium or zirconium. These materials are able to naturally bond to the bone tissue due to process called osseointegration. This stimulates the growth of new jaw bone tissue just like the natural tooth roots would, decreasing the chance of the bone deteriorating over time.
5. Your face has a caved-in appearance.
Have you ever notice the sunken-in or caved-in look of the mouth of some denture-wearers? This is due to the loss of bone as you age. Because dentures do not stimulate bone growth as implants do, the bone continues to wear away over time, resulting in the sunken-in, caved-in appearance. As detailed above, the implants stimulate the growth of new bone tissue around their site as a natural tooth would.
6. You have a tooth that cannot be saved.
Severely decayed or infected teeth sometimes cannot be restored or saved by traditional means such as fillings or root canal therapy. Your dentist will be able to determine this with a thorough examination. If the fault tooth needs to be extracted, a dental implant might be the best option to replace it.
Live in or near New Bern NC? Call our office at 252.507.0373 for an implants consultation with Dr. Hoard or schedule an appointment with us online.