Dental implants are a permanent solution to a dental problem that won’t go away. Implants replace missing or overly damaged teeth that cannot be restored. When you mostly have good, healthy teeth and just have one or two that are causing problems, getting a dental implant is a permanent fix that should last the rest of your lifetime.
If you are wondering whether you should get a dental implant in Chicago, here are six common signs that suggest you should consider it and schedule an appointment to learn more.
1. One or More Missing Teeth
The most obvious reason for needing a dental implant is that you are missing one or more teeth. You might have a tooth that got knocked out by an accidental blow while working or maybe playing sports. You might have slipped and struck your mouth on a hard object. Maybe a work accident caused you to lose a tooth or two. Whenever you have a missing tooth, an implant could be the best option for replacing it.
2. Damaged or Loose Tooth
You might innocently snack on something and suddenly bit down on a surprisingly hard item, such as a popcorn kernel or a piece of bone. Your tooth might suddenly crack or chip off a large section that even a crown could not replace. When you have a badly damaged or loose tooth, a tooth extraction might be required, followed by a bone graft and dental implant to replace it.
3. Old Dental Work Has Gone Bad
One of the biggest reasons why it is critically important to take care of your teeth while young is because old dental work goes bad after a number of years. You might have an old cavity or maybe a crown that has gone bad. Sometimes, when old dental work goes bad, the tooth cannot be fixed. A tooth extraction followed by a dental implant might be the only viable solution.
4. Excessive Tooth Decay
You also might have excessive tooth decay that makes it impossible to repair the tooth. When the base is soft and the tooth is unlikely to respond to a root canal or accept a crown, it usually has to go. Your dentist can determine whether or not the tooth is a good candidate for restoration or if it is time to pull it and consider a dental implant in its place.
5. Your Dentures Have Become Too Annoying
You might already have dentures but are struggling with them. Dentures require dental adhesive and have to fit your mouth perfectly. If they are not a good fit or your mouth changes enough over time that your dentures no longer fit as they should, you might need to replace them. Dental implants can be a good alternative that gets rid of the need for further dentures and dental adhesives to hold them in place.
6. Sunken Appearance on Your Face
Another problem that is related to dentures is the potential for the face to develop a sunken-in appearance. It happens because dentures do not stimulate the jaw bone like teeth or implants do. The jaw will lose bone density and slowly begin to sink into your face more, which creates a sunken look that affects your appearance. Replacing dentures with implants could correct the problem and stimulate your jawbone to keep it healthy.
