These misconceptions about dental implants may have caught you too
Dental implants, because of their good retention, no damage to surrounding teeth, aesthetics, comfort and other advantages, have the reputation of being humanity's "third set of teeth." In recent years, dental implants have become increasingly popular, and many patients with missing teeth choose dental implants first when undergoing restorative treatment. But some patients with missing teeth only half understand dental implants and hold mistaken ideas. For example:
Misconception 1: For dental implants, do you need to replace every missing tooth with an implant?
The main function of dental implants is to meet the functional needs of the teeth, not that every missing tooth requires an implant. Generally speaking, if one or two teeth are missing, all of them should be implanted. If three teeth are missing, it depends on the situation: if three teeth are missing in a row, it also depends on whether they are front teeth or back teeth. If three front teeth are missing in a row, implants can be placed at both ends, using them as support with a bridge in the middle, so no implant is needed in the middle; if back teeth are missing, all of them can be implanted, or two implants can be placed at the front and back with a bridge in the middle; if there are still healthy teeth among the three missing teeth, then it is recommended to implant all of them.
Misconception 2: The high price is only because the materials are expensive
When dental implants are mentioned, as soon as people ask about the price, everyone thinks it is terribly expensive. Is it excessive profit? Actually, this is a misconception.
The cost of dental implants includes not only the material cost, but also the surgical cost, material cost, technical cost, and the labor value of the medical staff. Generally speaking, the material chosen for dental implants is pure titanium, and there are obvious price differences among different brands. Overall, European and American dental implants are relatively outstanding in quality, and the cost of the complete system is correspondingly higher.
The technical cost of dental implants is often easily overlooked. You should know that a successful implant surgery places extremely strict technical demands on the doctor. And training a skilled implant dentist is certainly not something that can be completed overnight! There were previous reports of a female university student who thought orthodontic treatment was expensive, so she bought materials online to do the correction herself, and ended up ruining her teeth! You should know that oral diagnosis and treatment is skilled work and can only be completed by a professional dentist.
Misconception 3: Once you are older, there is no need for dental implants anymore!
Compared with removable dentures and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, dental implants are more expensive, and dutiful children often want their elderly parents to get dental implants, only for the elderly to refuse because of the price.
In fact, the group most suited to dental implants is the elderly! Just imagine: people experience reduced chewing function due to missing teeth, poor nutrient absorption, and even malnutrition. Dental implants are clearly better than removable dentures and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns at restoring chewing function and maintaining oral health.
Removable dentures rely on metal clasps and bases for retention, are prone to loosening, and can only restore part of the chewing function. In some cases, installing porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns requires grinding down the adjacent teeth on both sides to serve as "bridge piers" to fix the connected porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. Removable dentures mainly rely on the jawbone at the missing tooth site to support the biting force, which can easily lead to gradual atrophy of the dental alveolus. Dental implants, however, do not need to damage the adjacent teeth on both sides, are not only sturdy and durable, but can also prevent periodontal atrophy.
If middle-aged and older people are suitable candidates, dental implants are not out of the question; after all, they can improve elderly people's quality of life and sense of happiness.
Misconception 4: After getting dental implants, you can bite hard objects freely
A resident surnamed Tian loved cracking small walnuts, which caused her teeth to split and rot, so she chose dental implants. After the porcelain-fused-to-metal crown was installed, she still could not resist cracking walnuts, and unexpectedly the artificial crown was bitten until it cracked.
Dental implants are completely fine for chewing everyday food. Although artificial tooth roots are deeply anchored, there is still a porcelain crown, which also has a certain biting limit, and it can likewise be cracked by biting. So after getting dental implants, in addition to the usual dental care routine, you should also be careful to avoid biting hard objects with the implants.
To learn more about dental problems, please follow the official Toutiao account "Hippo Doctor" of the Hippo Doctor oral care platform, listen to Hippo talk about dental problems, and get your teeth treated early.