It’s easier than ever to get detailed information about almost anything you want, but that doesn’t mean you should believe everything you read. Even dental implant treatments are surrounded by myths and misconceptions! Keep reading, and you’ll learn why 4 of the most common ones are false.
1. Dental Implants are Merely Aesthetic
While they do look incredibly realistic, dental implants are “more than a pretty face.” Like many other tooth replacements, they’ll prevent your teeth from drifting into crooked positions, improve your chewing efficiency, make it easier to speak naturally, and enhance your overall comfort. Unlike other replacements, they’ll also prevent further jawbone loss!
2. Dental Implants are Risky
To be fair, treatments that involve surgery do often come with a certain amount of risk. There’s always at least a small chance you could develop an infection, for example. However, dental implant treatments have a success rate of 95%. That means 95% of the time, patients are able to enjoy their new prosthetic teeth for 10 years or more, without failure.
3. Dental Implants are Only for the Elderly
True: the majority of patients who experience tooth loss are ages 60 or older.
False: tooth loss only happens to seniors.
Young people can loose their natural teeth, too, whether it be due to gum disease or an accident. What’s important is that the tooth is replaced as soon as possible to avoid dental drift and jawbone loss. As long as a patient’s jawbone is fully developed (around age 18 for women and age 21 for men), they can safely receive dental implants.
4. Dental Implants are Considered Experimental
Far from it! The first successful dental implant was placed in 1965, and clinical trials continued into the early 70’s. By 1981, the treatment was formally recognized as a valid tooth replacement option, and in 1982, the US finally had it approved through the FDA. In other words, dental implants have decades of thorough and legitimate research backing them up. They passed the experimental phase a long time ago!
If you have questions or concerns about dental implants in Vancouver, be sure to contact your dentist before jumping to conclusions. They’ll be able to set the facts straight and keep you well-informed about your treatment options.
About the Author
Dr. Joseph Kelly completed a MAXI implant dentistry course with the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and is currently a member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. In other words, he’s well qualified to help you bust myths about dental implants! To contact Dr. Kelly’s office and schedule your consultation today, call 360-574-4007.