Dental patients have a number of choices when one or more natural teeth cannot be saved, but not all choices are created equal. More and more, adults are choosing dental implants because implants offer advantages not found with other options. Dental implants are one of the most permanent and durable solutions to tooth loss, if the process begins with careful analysis and preparation by your dental team to ensure success.

Let’s take a look at why dental patients are increasingly choosing implants as their restoration of choice.

Top Reasons Patients Choose Dental Implants

Dental implants have a very high success rate. A study of the effectiveness of dental implants found that over the course of many years, implants maintain a success rate of between 95 and 99 percent.

Implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth, or an entire arch of teeth. Dental implants are flexible in terms of how many teeth they replace. Given the negative health consequences to losing ANY teeth, the ability to replace them is important.

Dental implants do not require the alteration of healthy natural teeth. Dental bridges are often considered as an option for a person who has lost several teeth. However, a major downside is the necessity of grinding down part of the natural tooth on each side of the bridge. This can weaken tooth structure and lead to decay or additional tooth loss. Dental implants require no such destructive alteration.

Dental implants stop bone loss in the jaw and preserve natural facial contours. Implants are the only tooth replacement option that can stop the bone loss accompanying loss of multiple teeth. Consequently, they also help prevent the “facial sag” that is a long-term consequence of tooth loss.

Dental implants can be more comfortable than other options. Implants use biocompatible titanium fused into your jaw to provide a stable platform for a crown that takes the place of the natural tooth. Implants then function like natural teeth. Dentures, even well-made sets, can come with irritation, soreness, and other challenges.

“Dental implants can be a life-altering option when dealing with tooth loss,” says Dr. Jaqueline S. Allen, who practices at the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Our practice is skilled and experienced at determining whether you are a good candidate for this type of restoration.”

Replacing a tooth – or all of them, if necessary – with a dental implant is a major health decision. It is important to understand what a dental implant can do for you, how the procedure will work, and postoperative care. Here are five questions you will find helpful to know the answers to before beginning your dental implant procedure.

5 Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Dental Implant

1. Why does it matter if I replace a failing/missing tooth? Although a tooth extraction may seem less expensive, there are a host of oral health issues that can be prevented by getting an implant. Dental implants can prevent shifting of your remaining natural teeth, make it less likely you’ll suffer gum disease or tooth decay, and can prevent the “facial collapse” that often happens with the loss of one or both arches of your teeth.

2. Why is an implant favored over a root canal? It’s good to know why your dentist does not recommend trying to save your natural tooth. Perhaps the structure of your tooth has deteriorated to the point it simply won’t support a root canal and a crown. Or perhaps there is a crack, especially one extending down below the gumline, that would make a root canal impossible. Your dentist should be able to explain why they are recommending a dental implant over a root canal and what clinical conditions make you a better candidate for the implant.

3. How long will the entire implant process take? The answer to this question will be highly individualized, depending on how many natural teeth will be replaced, if you have bone density challenges in your jaw that need to be addressed, if your dentist recommends using All-On-4 overdentures for a full arch of dental implants, and other factors. Your dentist should be able to provide a clear, easy-to-understand treatment timeline for you.

4. Will my implant be successful over the long term? Overall, dental implants have a high success rate – usually about 95 percent. They are designed to last a lifetime. What you really want to find out from your dentist by asking this question is how likely it is that a dental implant will be a permanent solution to your oral health challenges.

5. What do I need to know about managing pain after the dental implant? Your dentist should provide you a complete postoperative pain guide, that will cover how to manage discomfort (which is normal during the first few days after the procedure) and what types of pain you should call your dentist about. In general, nearly all swelling, tenderness or discomfort should be gone within seven to 10 days of your procedure.

“At Phoenix Endodontic Group, we want to ensure our patients understand why we recommend a dental implant over another procedure,” says Dr. Jaqueline S. Allen. “Answering patient questions is part of how we partner together to ensure the experience is comfortable and successful.”

When considering dental implants, you can expect your endodontist to allow three to six months for healing, after placing the implant and before placing a permanent restoration on top of the tooth. The implant and its crown will take the place of your natural tooth. There are several factors influencing how quickly a dental implant will heal, and their interplay determines how quickly you can expect the process to be finished.

What Influences The Dental Implant Healing Process?

1. Bone loss in the area of the jaw receiving the implant. If the dental implant is replacing a missing tooth, or if the natural tooth being extracted was damaged, the bone density at the implant site may not be sufficient to allow the metal implant post and the jawbone to grow together. A bone graft may be required to prepare the site before the implant can be placed. In this case, the implant may require up to six months of healing before a permanent restoration can be placed on top of it.

2. Location of the natural tooth being replaced by the dental implant. A dental implant intended to replace a front tooth with its small roots will generally take less time to heal than back teeth or teeth with longer roots.

3. The presence of gum disease or infection in the natural tooth to be replaced. Active infection in a tooth or gum disease near the implant site will require a longer healing period because the infection or disease must first be controlled and healed.

Often, a temporary restoration such as a crown can be placed on a dental implant while it is healing. This is an option when it will not endanger the integration process, which will be evaluated by your endodontist.

“Two of the most important phases of the dental implant process are the diagnostic and planning stages,” says Dr. Jacqueline S. Allen, who practices with the Phoenix Endodontic Group. “Careful examination of the current state of a patient’s teeth and gums can help us provide a more accurate healing timeline.”