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6 Signs Your Smile May Need Dental Implants

restorative dentist asheville nc, dr. hoffert

Are you enduring pain due to a broken or severely cracked tooth? Maybe you already have dentures, but are exasperated with having to use messy denture adhesives and having to worry about slippage while eating and talking?

You might be wondering if dental implants could help you solve these problems?

No matter which situation you might be in, Dr. Shawna Hoffert at Red Maple Dental in Asheville, NC, would like to make you aware of  how dental implants can be a solution for your dental problems.

So join us as we review 6 signs that you could benefit from dental implants.

1. You have cracked or broken a tooth.

If you have cracked or broken a tooth, a dental crown or a dental implant may be your only options. Although dentists always try to save as much of the tooth structure as possible, when the tooth is beyond repair, the best option might be a tooth extraction and an implant to replace the damaged tooth. If an implant is needed, rest assured, Dr. Hoffert will match the crown to the hue of your existing teeth so that it will look and function just like your natural teeth.

2. You have loose-fitting partials or a loose-fitting denture.

Loose-fitting dentures or partials can be irritating to deal with on a daily basis. Implants are an excellent alternative to dentures and partials. With implants, you will no longer need to worry about your dentures becoming loose throughout the day or that they will fall out in public while talking or eating.

3. You are missing one or more of your natural teeth.

Having gaps in your smile from missing teeth can be an embarrassment and make you self-conscious about smiling, talking or eating in public. The implant is designed to fill in the space where your natural tooth once lived and will look, feel and function just like your own natural teeth too.

4. You are starting to experience bone loss (in the jaw area).

Dental implants can actually aid in the prevention of bone loss in your jaw. The implant itself — the titanium or zirconium portion that gets placed in the socket of the jawbone — acts as the root of the tooth, bonding naturally to the bone tissue. The bonding process — osseointegration — enables the implant roots to stimulate jaw bone growth just like the natural tooth roots would, lessening the chance of the bone deteriorating over time.

5. You have a sunken-in look to your facial appearance.

One of the hazards of wearing dentures is that your jawbone tissue deteriorates without roots of teeth to stimulate it to continue growing. This is a common problem for patients with patients who wear dentures as they grow older. A sunken-in, caved-in looking mouth can appear as a result. Dental implants resolve this problem by stimulating bone growth in the jaw around the implant (See #4 above for details).

6. You have a tooth that cannot be saved.

Sometimes a severely decayed or infected tooth cannot be repaired or saved. Dr. Hoffert will perform a thorough examination to make this determination. If the problem tooth cannot be repaired, you may need to have it extracted.  In this case a dental implant might be the preferred option to replace it as they look and feel like your natural teeth and can last decades with proper care.

Dental Implants in Asheville, NC

Live in or near Asheville, NC? Call Red Maple Dental at (828)-358-1925 for an implants consultation with Dr. Shawna Hoffert or schedule with us online. We look forward to helping you smile your best smile!