What Are Dental Implants Used For?

A dental implant is an effective and proven treatment in a situation where a natural tooth has been lost or must be extracted for some reason. Dental implants are the closest substitute for a natural tooth in terms of aesthetics as well as functionality. It is a permanent solution that does not require any special maintenance by the patient, except for the good oral hygiene practices and regular dental check-ups every six months like any other person with good oral health.

Dental Implants can most commonly be used in the following situations:

Congenitally missing teeth

One or more teeth may be missing by birth itself. There are no clear reasons why this happens, but it does happen with some children who grow up with one or more missing teeth. In such cases, the dentist has to wait till the child’s mouth and jaw has attained its full growth. Thereafter, a dental implant is an effective solution to fill the missing space.

Tooth loss in an accident or injury

If a person suffers an injury of the mouth or face, it may result in a severe impact on the teeth, causing excessive trauma to one or more teeth. If the trauma causes permanent damage to the tooth, and it fails to recover on its own, then a dental implant is the best alternative available to restore the oral health of the patient.

Tooth extraction due to an infection or decay

Sometimes an infection in the tooth may become severe if the patient neglects timely treatment. The nerve inside the tooth may become diseased, and in absence of medical intervention, eventually the entire tooth structure may become severely compromised. In such a situation, the dentist may have no other option left except to extract the diseased tooth completely from the root, in order to prevent the infection from spreading to other teeth. In all such eventualities, a dental implant is the optimal solution, which can be used restore the patient’s oral health.

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