What You Should Know Before Deciding to Get Dental Implants

It's time to settle on an alternative to natural teeth. While you've thought about dentures, they really don't seem to offer the advantages that you want. Have you thought about getting dental implants in Toronto? Before you make a decision, here are some things you should know. There’s a good chance that they will turn out to be the right solution for you.

Not Everyone is a Ready Candidate For Dental Implants

When you ask if anyone can get dental implants, the answer will likely be a yes, but with one slight qualification. It’s important that you have solid bone in order to hold the implants in position. Without it, the implants would not remain in alignment.

Your dental team will determine the density of your jaw bones before confirming that you can move ahead with the North York dental implant surgery. Don’t give up if it turns out the density is not sufficient. There are a few surgical procedures that can provide greater stability and make it possible to have those implants installed.

There is More than One Type of Implant

Did you know that it’s possible to receive more than one type of implant? Your dentist may recommend individual dental implants in Toronto or the professional may recommend that you consider what’s known as an All on Four implant solution. Both of them work well, but it’s up to you and your dentist to determine which solution will work best.

Individual implants fill in the empty sockets where your original teeth used to reside. After the implants are in position, they are fitted with a set of temporary caps. Later on, you will receive the permanent caps. Opting for this approach will mean spending a few weeks or months having the implants installed, being fitted for the permanent caps, and making sure everything is done properly.

With the All on Four Dental Solution in Toronto, custom upper and lower dental plates are prepared. Four implants are sunk in the upper and lower jaws and the plates are then attached. The nice thing about this approach is that it can often be done in a single day. You can literally walk into the dental office without any teeth and emerge hours later with what appears to be a full set of healthy teeth.

You Should Go Over Your Medications With the Dentist Before the Implant Surgery

If you are taking any type of prescription or over the counter medication, it pays to talk with your dentist well before the date of the North York dental implant surgery. The goal is to determine if any of those medications could thin the blood and create complications. If so, you may need to discontinue taking them a few days prior to the procedure.

The same holds true if you take any type of herbal product. Do some research and find out if any of the herbs tend to thin the blood. If so, they should not be taken for few days before and a few days after the implants surgery.

You May Receive Sedation Prior to the Procedure

You can expect to receive a shot to deaden the gums in preparation for the implant surgery. For people who are dealing with anxiety issues or phobias that make it difficult to remain in the dental chair for long periods, you may also receive some sort of sedation. It won’t be enough to put you completely to sleep, but you are not likely to remember much about the actual procedure.

Remember that if you currently take something to manage your anxiety disorder, let the dentist know in advance. If possible, you may need to avoid taking the medication for at least 24 hours prior to the surgery. When your condition does not allow that, the dentist may ensure that the sedation is adjusted to compensate for what you already take. Rest assured that your condition will be monitored before, during, and after the dental implants are in place.

Implants are Considered a Permanent Solution

One of the reasons you were not that crazy about dentures is that they can still slip out of position even when you use a strong dental adhesive. The fact that they will need to be replaced after several years is not exactly exciting either. You would like to have an alternative that is more or less permanent. That’s what you get with dental implants in Toronto.

The choice to undergo North York dental implant surgery means that you don’t have to deal with slippage when you try to bite, chew, or talk. The implants remain in position for anything short of a catastrophic event. Basically, it would take the same force to dislodge an implant that it would take to knock out a real tooth.

Implants Help to Preserve the Integrity of Your Jaw Line

Another point in favour of dental implants is how they help maintain the natural shape of your jaw. Not everyone realizes that the jaw bones begin to shift when there are no longer teeth to fill those sockets. As the shifting progresses, the bottom part of your face will seem to shrink. When you choose implants, that won’t happen.

Caring for Implants is a Lot Like Caring For Real Teeth

Caring for dental implants in Toronto is a lot like taking care of natural teeth. You still brush after meals and go in for annual exams. You can even go in for cleanings once or twice a year. If you are used to using mouthwash, keep doing so. It will not harm the dental implants at all.

With One Possible Exception

There is one possible change to your daily dental hygiene if you get dental implants in Toronto. Flossing is something that one dentist may recommend while the next one discourages it. The reason is because the natural membrane around the base of a real tooth is no longer present once an implant is in position. That makes it easier to scratch the gum tissue while flossing.

Dentists either recommend to not floss at all, or learn how to do so without rubbing it around the base of the implant. You and your dental professional can decide what’s best in your case.

Do you have more questions about implants? Talk with your dental professional and listen closely to the replies. If you like what you hear, go ahead and schedule that North York dental implant surgery for the earliest date possible.