Dental implants have slowly been growing in popularity thanks to lowering costs, easier accessibility, and implant dentists in Long Island and elsewhere getting more experience with the procedure.  However, implants are still much more expensive than regular dentures, and the traditional operation comes with several weeks of recovery.  So what is it about dental implants that make them worth all the extra effort?

Osseointegration

Osseointegration is a word that means an implant can completely fuse together with your natural bones until it’s impossible to remove it without breaking something.  It’s a special ability of titanium, which is just about the perfect metal to use for implants since it doesn’t leech into your bloodstream or cause a bad immune system reaction.  Osseointegration means that titanium screws can act like the roots of a normal tooth and will hold on just as tight.

No Degradation

When you remove a tooth, the part of the jaw arch that held it will start to dissolve.  This is a natural part of how living bones work, but it means you’ll have to resize your dentures several times over the first few months and it can cause you to develop vertical wrinkles around your mouth since your teeth aren’t there to push out your lips.  Because implant screws replace your teeth down to the roots, they can keep your bone arches from degrading.

Easy Cleaning

Some implant types act as anchors for your dentures and hold them more securely than any denture adhesive ever could.  However, you still need to take them out at night to clean them and brush your gums.

On the other hand, dental implants that replace individual teeth or a short row are permanent and will never leave your mouth once the implant dentist of Long Island or wherever you may live installs the ceramic crown.  You still need to clean and take care of your implant, but all you need to do is brush and floss the same way you would with your natural teeth.

Implants might be more expensive than dentures, but the fact that they can replace your natural teeth almost completely is why so many people go through with the procedure.  However, regular implants need a jaw arch that hasn’t gone through any degradation, so be sure to consult an implant dentist on Long Island as soon as you know a tooth needs to come out.