Dental implants are an alternative to dentures and bridges for those who have lost teeth due to decay or accident. They use the jaw to stay in place, rather than being anchored by surrounding teeth. Dental implants can look quite natural and function as natural teeth do.

Implants are often the best choice for those who have lost teeth, as they don’t have to be removed and cleaned, won’t pinch or hurt, and will provide the most natural speech and give the ability to eat any foods which you could with real teeth. Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for implants and you will need to be in good overall health and have good dental health to be considered.

Procedure information
Dental implants may not be an option for everyone and dentists evaluate each case individually. A good candidate will have to be quite healthy and have good dental health and hygiene. Most people who receive dental implants are young people who have lost their teeth due to accident.

There are two surgeries involved for insertion of dental implants. The first one consists of the implant portion being surgically placed into or on top of the jaw bone. These are left alone for 3 to 6 months to anchor to the bone. Afterwards, when a strong foundation has been formed, the new teeth will be attached to the dental implant.

Recovery time
Dental implants can last for more than 25 years. Recovery after the first surgery, when the implant part is installed, is 2 to 6 months however the pain and discomfort caused by the procedure will subside much sooner, probably within a week. The second surgery in which the teeth are placed into the implants has a very short recovery time of just a few weeks.

Afterwards, you will have little to worry about and can treat the implants as though they were your natural teeth including maintaining proper hygiene and having regular dental exams.