Almost 40 million Americans are missing at least one tooth. Each year, about half a million more lose teeth. It’s reasonable to assume that many are getting implants for those missing teeth. In fact, as many as 3 million people have received dental implants.

If you have any missing teeth, you may want to join the ranks of those who’ve received dental implants. Dental implanting is a procedure that replaces a tooth root with a screw that attaches to the bone. At the top of the screw lies a cap/crown that looks like a real tooth.

Dental implants are excellent solutions to damaged or missing teeth. You need to clean them like normal teeth, but modern medicine has made them very durable. In addition, they can’t die like real teeth as they’re artificial.

However, navigating the world of dental implants can be confusing.

Before doing anything, you’ll need to consider the cost. Most procedures are expensive, and dental implants are no exception. Fortunately, your insurance provider may cover some of the cost. But even if they do, you’ll still need to pay a significant sum of money yourself as they won’t cover all of it.

After looking into the financial side of things and determining you can afford it, you’ll want to speak with your dentist. They know you and your mouth well, so they are a great resource for determining if you need dental implants.

Ready to get some dental implants? Planning for them may require meeting with several medical and dentals such as your normal dentist, and orthondontist, an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor, a periodontist, and a prosthodontist.

There’re some more preparatory steps to take before you can schedule your dental implant procedure:

• Medical history review – Dental implants involve surgery, so reviewing your medical history is important to success. Talk to your doctor about any medical conditions you have, as well as any prescription and over-the-counter drugs you take.
• Comprehensive dental exam – Your dentist will take several X-rays and 3D images in order to model your teeth and jaw for a more seamless procedure.
• The Treatment Plan – Everyone’s dental situation is unique. This plan takes into account your jaw and teeth health, how many teeth you need replaced, healing periods, and other similar things.

There’s a lot of planning that goes into dental implants. It’s all for a good cause, though; this extensive level of planning ensures a painless, smooth procedure that restores your smile to its former glory.

Here at Absolute Smile, we specialize in cosmetic dental procedures like dental implants. So if you’re in the Philadelphia area and you’re looking to repair that beautiful smile you’ve been missing for so long, give us a call today.