Dental implants can be an ideal way to resolve a lost tooth.
There are various ways that a missing tooth can be resolved so that you can chew food properly and have a complete smile that gives you confidence. Dentures, bridges, and dental implants are all techniques that can be used depending on your situation. Here at Drs. Batten & Heath Family Dentistry, we provide personalized dental care for our patients in Walkertown, North Carolina because we understand that everyone is different and deserves specialized care.
If you are considering dental implants, we take the time to tell you about how they work, including the number of visits needed to surgically implant the titanium screw and then create the crown for it. We go over why they are an ideal option if you are looking for the most natural result that can provide lasting results.
Dental care for the whole family!
During your consultation, we will assess whether you are a good candidate for dental implants and when they can be done. If you recently had the tooth extraction, there may be a waiting period to allow for healing. If it has been a long time, the placement of dental implants is more difficult, and in some cases, may not be a feasible option. Another issue with waiting too long is that the alignment shift of the other teeth can interfere with dental implants and there could be loss of bone to contend with.
The History of Dental Implants
It might seem like the technology of dental implants is a modern thing, and although the processes in use today have improved in leaps and bounds since the early origins of such procedures, it is interesting to note that humans have found ways to deal with missing teeth for a very long time. At Drs. Batten & Heath Family Dentistry, we certainly don’t expect anyone to follow suit with some of the old practices of dental implants, but thought we’d share some so you can see how far we have come.
Historians and archaeologists have uncovered the use of various tooth replacement options dating as far back as 4000 years. Any number of things have been used as substitute teeth, including bamboo pegs, copper pegs, iron, teeth taken from slaves or impoverished people, jade, sea shells, and other materials. In some cases, the replacement teeth were driven into the jaw bone, which couldn’t have been a comfortable practice in the days before anesthesia and pain medication! In addition, many of these practices left the patient susceptible to serious infection and may even have resulted in death in some cases.
Thankfully, due to careful research done in modern times, we have dental implants that have an almost 100% long-term rate of success. In nearly every case, the patient enjoys a restored smile, gains support for surrounding teeth and can chew properly for the rest of their life. Reach out to learn more about dental implants and why they are an ideal solution for people who have lost a tooth or had to have a tooth extracted.
If you would like to know more about dental implants or other options to resolve a lost tooth, don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule an appointment.
At Drs. Batten & Heath Family Dentistry, we can create dental implants for residents of Walkertown, Winston-Salem, Belews Creek, Kernersville, Walnut Cove, Stokesdale, Summerfield, Oak Ridge, and Wallburg, North Carolina.