Dental implants can be the ideal choice for replacing missing teeth. They are the tooth replacement option that is most like your natural teeth, so they can deliver results that look natural and restore the full function of your bite. They can even last a lifetime if properly cared for.
However, the great results of dental implants depend on getting the procedure right. The Savannah implant dentists at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry can help you achieve optimal results with your dental implants. Here are some of the mistakes we can help you avoid.
Not Choosing Their Dentist Carefully
Your Savannah implant dentist will make a huge difference in the eventual results you achieve with your dental implants. While it’s true that dental implants have a very high success rate overall, the success rate does vary among dentists. Taking the time to choose your implant dentist carefully is important.
The three most common mistakes we see when people choose an implant dentist are:
- Just sticking with their current dentist
- Choosing the closest dentist
- Choosing the cheapest dentist
We understand the temptation to just keep working with your current dentist. You know them, and they do good work with checkups, cleaning, and the odd filling. However, it’s important to understand that dental implants are something entirely different. If your current dentist isn’t highly qualified to place and restore dental implants, you should look for someone who is.
Another similar problem is that people choose the closest implant dentist. This might seem convenient if you have to make numerous trips for adjustment, repair, and replacement of implants. However, this isn’t as important as you might think. Properly placed and well-maintained dental implants might go years between adjustments and repairs. Don’t commit yourself to numerous trips–choose a dentist who might make these trips unnecessary, even if it means traveling across town–or across the country.
Another big issue is that people sometimes choose a dentist based on price. Choosing a cheap dentist now can be expensive in the long run. Start by narrowing down to only the most qualified implant dentists. Then if there’s a price difference between them, you can choose the cheaper of the fully qualified dentists.
Choosing Cheap Materials and Systems
Another mistake people make is choosing a dental implant system that offers a cheaper procedure. However, the cheaper dental implant system is less likely to provide long-lasting quality results.
Cheap materials often look cheap. In addition, they may wear out more quickly. Sometimes, too, these cheap dental implant systems might require your facial structures to be adapted to the implant system. This could require removing extensive bone height that can impact your facial appearance and reduce the potential for long-lasting results.
Replacing Too Few or Too Many Teeth
Dental implants can replace as many or as few teeth as necessary, from one single tooth to all the teeth in your mouth at once. This freedom is great for giving you options, but it carries with it the risk that you might make poor decisions about which teeth to replace and which ones to keep.
Dental implants are the closest we have to natural teeth, but they’re not exactly natural teeth. It often makes more sense to keep as many natural teeth as possible. However, it’s also important to remove teeth that are at risk of loss and any teeth whose infection might put dental implants at risk.
Once you’ve got a Savannah implant dentist you trust, have a long, honest conversation about this choice so you can make the right decision.
Not Replacing Old Restorations
Your dental implants will give you beautiful new teeth that can look as attractive as your natural teeth–or even more attractive. However, you might not be happy with the results of your new dental implants if you still have old restorations that might not look as good as they did when placed. Or perhaps you matched old restorations to natural teeth that are now gone.
In these cases, you can get better results if you decide to replace your old restorations when you get your new dental implants. Sometimes it’s even smart to replace dental crowns on older dental implants.
Neglecting Their Bite
Your dental implants don’t have the natural cushion built into them that natural teeth have. They are more rigid than natural teeth and more rigidly attached to your jawbone, so they are even more susceptible to bite problems than natural teeth. It’s critical to make sure you’re getting a healthy bite when you get dental implants.
To help ensure you get a healthy bite, choose a Savannah implant dentist who understands bite science, such as neuromuscular dentistry. Often, these are dentists who treat temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ/TMD). Ask for this qualification when choosing your implant dentist.
Neglecting Their Facial Appearance
Your teeth have a significant impact on your appearance. They provide support and structure to the lower third of your face. Your Savannah implant dentist should design implants that help restore your youthful proportions. Ask if they offer implant systems designed with facial rejuvenation in mind, such as CeraSmile®.
If you don’t address this issue when planning your dental implants, you’re missing out on the perfect opportunity to rejuvenate your appearance, achieving effects similar to a facelift at the same time as you’re replacing your teeth.
Not Caring for Their Dental Implants
However, it’s also important to do your part in ensuring you get the long-lasting beautiful dental implant results you desire. This means not just choosing the right Savannah implant dentist; it also means taking care of your dental implants when you have them.
Fortunately, dental implants are generally easy to care for. Just brush twice a day and floss daily, following the steps your implant dentist recommends. You’ll have to keep up with regular dental checkups. Sometimes, if you lost your natural teeth to gum disease, your implant dentist might recommend more frequent regular visits, at least for a while. Otherwise, that’s about all you need to do to help ensure you get results that last decades–even a lifetime–with your dental implants.
Get Dental Implants in Savannah
Are you considering getting dental implants in Savannah? Let the implant dentists at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry help you to get the results you love, look beautiful, function naturally, and can last a long time.
To get started with dental implants, please call (912) 234-8282 or use our online contact form to request an appointment at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry, located in Savannah’s Victorian District.
