Losing a tooth is very common and it can happen for many reasons including gum disease, accidents, trauma, and more. Over the past many years, dental implants have replaced dentures and bridges as a better solution to filling a gap left by tooth loss.
Tooth loss is so common that according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons, about 69% of adults aged between 35-44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to gum disease, an accident, tooth decay, or a failed root.
And by age 74, at least 26% of adults have lost all their teeth. According to these stats, about 100,000 – 300,000 dental implants are placed per year.
But there are still many people who hesitate to get implants mainly due to costs, dental surgery pain, and doubts about whether the implants are as good as a real tooth.
Dr. Alan Yassin at Icon Dental Center, Everett, WA gets asked this question quite frequently from patients, and we have decided to cover it in detail here.
Table of Contents
Are Dental Implants Really as Good as Real Teeth?
Dental Implants are made with several different materials including stainless steel, gold alloys, carbon, titanium, zirconia, and more. Whereas real teeth are made with several organic parts such as Enamel, Dentin, Pulp, Cementum, and Periodontal Ligament.
Depending on the strength of the material, and the skill of the dentist performing the dental implant surgery in Seattle, implants are actually better than real teeth in some ways.
When Implants are Better Than Real Teeth
- Implants can’t get decayed. As we already know, implants are made with strong materials like titanium and zirconia, and since they are not organic, they cannot get decayed like real teeth.
- Stronger Teeth. Depending on the material of the implant crown, it is actually much stronger than real teeth.
- Plaque. Dental implant crown does not accumulate plaque on the surface as much as a real tooth does.
- Better looking. Since you and your dentist have complete control over which material the implant crown is made from, sometimes the crown can be better in shape, color, and shine. It may even require fewer teeth whitening visits to the dentist.
- No more gum disease. A damaged tooth or decaying teeth can actually cause significant health problems including respiratory problems, osteoporosis, reduced effectiveness of insulin for diabetics and more. An implant, however, does not pose the same threats to the body.
Does the Dentist Matter When Opting for Dental Implants?
The life and benefits of implants all depend on the materials, methods, and dental machinery used. But one factor that a lot of people don’t take into consideration is that a dentist performing dental surgery also needs to be a specialist.
There is a very big difference between a general dentist and a dental implants specialist. The success of implant dentistry requires significant knowledge of the latest methods, science, techniques, and dentistry in general.
This is why periodontists have to train three additional years beyond their dental school education and become specially trained in the placement, maintenance and repair of dental implants.
At Icon Dental Center, Seattle, WA, we are proud to have dentists like Dr. Yassin who is a Board-Certified Periodontics and dental implant surgeon. For you, this means you’ll receive the highest level of dental care in Seattle.
Affordable Dental Implants in Seattle?
If you’ve ever been to a dentist in Seattle in search of dental implant surgery, there is a good chance that you probably walked out of the dental center without opting for implants.
The cost of implants can be very high, especially if you do not have insurance. At Icon Dental Center, we provide our patients with several financing options that make this treatment affordable.
Walk into our Seattle or Everette offices and see what your options are.