If you have several bad or missing teeth, your dentist may have suggested that you consider getting dental implants. However, you may have heard a few things about them and are harboring certain misconceptions. If so, read on to learn the truth behind some of these misconceptions that you may have about getting and living with the implants.
1. Implants Are Painful to Get and Uncomfortable to Live With
One misconception that you may have about implants is that they will be painful to have placed. And, once they are inserted, you may believe that they will be uncomfortable to live with, causing issues with your ability to speak or chew your food.
As far as the procedure to have them placed, the dentist will try to make you as comfortable as possible by numbing the gums. You can also ask them about receiving conscious sedation, which helps you to further relax, especially if you have high anxiety when it comes to dental procedures.
After the procedure, your gums may feel somewhat sore around the insertion sites. However, once the gums fully heal, the implants should feel just like your natural teeth, and you should have no issues with talking or eating.
2. They Look Fake and Everyone Will Know You Have Them
Another concern that you may have about implants is that you may worry that they look fake and that everyone who comes into contact with you will know right away that you have them. You may picture them as being larger in size and having an odd finish that makes them discernible as false teeth.
However, the implants are personally designed to fit the size of your mouth and resemble the shape and size of your natural teeth. Even if placed in spaces between your current teeth, it should be difficult to determine which are the implants and which are natural.
Also, the finish of the teeth is designed to closely resemble real tooth enamel. Unless you directly tell someone that you have implants mixed in with your teeth, that person will most likely not be able to tell any difference during their interactions with you.
3. They Will Add a Lot of Extra Steps During Your Oral Hygiene Routine
Another misconception you may have is that dental implants will add a lot of extra steps to your oral hygiene routine. You may believe that you will have to take special measures to take care of the implants, which will create more work for you when trying to keep your mouth healthy and your new teeth intact.
Directly after the procedure of having them inserted, you may have to take some extra care with the implants until the gums are fully healed. Your dentist may have to use a special mouthwash to ensure bacteria are killed around the post site. And, you may need to be particularly careful when it comes to flossing around them.
However, once the implant insertion sites are healed, they should not require any extra steps in taking care of them. You should be able to brush your teeth as you normally would in the past using the same toothpaste.
As far as flossing, you will only need to change your technique. Instead of pulling up on the floss through the spaces, you will need to push them into the gaps and pull them out to keep them from snagging. However, this technique should not require any extra time.
After learning the truth about a few of the misconceptions you may have had, you may be ready to learn more about the benefits of getting implants as well as the process of having them inserted. Make an appointment with a dentist who offers dental implant treatment services for more information.
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