- Dental implants are very valuable for patients with various dental problems, so it is important to dispel some misconceptions.
Have you recently found yourself considering dental implants? And you’re not sure whether or not they’re the right option for you?
Dental implants are very common. Around 5 million are given to patients each year.
There’s a lot of information out there, and it doesn’t take a long time for it to become overbearing. There’s also a lot of misinformation out there too, and a lot of myths have popped up over time surrounding dental implants.
We’ve put together 9 of those popular myths, and quickly busted them for you to make sure you’re getting the clearest, most concise information you need to help you decide whether dental implant surgery is the procedure for you.
1. Dental Implant Surgery is Painful
Kicking off with perhaps the biggest myth associated with dental implant surgery, the idea that dental surgery is painful seems to have gotten out there and done the rounds for a number of years.
The truth is, all patients undergoing dental implant surgery will be provided with local anaesthetic during the procedure, so the worst anyone will experience is some mild discomfort in the form of slight pressure and vibration. Once the surgery has been complete there’ll be some degree of tenderness from the swelling and bruising, but this will be easily treatable with over-the-counter painkillers.
2. Dental Implants Look Noticeably Different from the Rest of Your Natural Teeth
If you’ve ever heard anyone saying that dental implants look noticeably different from the rest of your natural teeth, then we’re here to confirm that their comments couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Dental implants are specifically designed to look, feel, and function in exactly the same way as the rest of your natural teeth would, even going as far as matching the perfect colour grade, and ensuring the phonetics are correct so your speech won’t be impacted in any way. A dental implant truly is the perfect replacement tooth, and we guarantee you won’t be able to distinguish one from the other.
3. Older Patients Won’t be Able to Get Dental Implants
Many people claim that older patients won’t be a suitable candidate for dental implants, but this myth is also a long way from the truth.
It’s absolutely true that some people may be too young for dental implants, so there will be some age-based factors coming into play, however there’s no such thing as being too old. Traditionally speaking, it’s going to be older patients that need to replace their teeth anyway.
There may be a couple of health conditions that could disqualify some older patients from being successful dental implant candidates, such as uncontrolled diabetes, gum disease, or a bleeding disorder, but besides these, most health issues won’t have an impact.
4. Dental Implant Surgery can be a Big Risk
Dental implants have been a common treatment for missing or broken teeth for almost half a century now, and was first successfully implemented in 1913. That’s given us a lot of time to perfect the procedure, and the truth is it’s an incredibly popular one, with more than 5 million dental implants placed each year in the United States alone.
With so many procedures carried out year after year all around the world, dental implant surgery boasts an impressive success rate of 95% to 98%. No other tooth replacement treatment can boast such high levels of success.
5. Dental Implant Surgery is Expensive
Well, this one is fair enough; dental implant surgery can be incredibly expensive. But it doesn’t have to be.
Right now, Turkey is one of the most popular countries in the world when it comes to dental work, and while the country also has some of the best dental surgeons and medical standards in the world, the prices have undeniably played a huge part in their popularity.
Whereas the typical dental implant procedure in the UK would cost between £2,000 and £2,500 per tooth (plus additional costs for consultations, medications, and post-operative care), the per-tooth cost for dental implants Turkey drops significantly, with many places starting as low as £440.
6. Having Dental Implants Means You’ll No Longer Be Able to Eat Hard Foods
While there’ll definitely be a period of adjustment while your implants heal, once all’s done and dusted then there’s nothing stopping you from eating anything you want.
At the worst, there’ll be a few food groups you’ll want to take care with when eating, such as nuts, sticky candy, or whole apples, but on the whole, as long as you’re careful and continue to take good care of your teeth, then there’s no reason there should ever be any issues with what you choose to eat.
7. Dental Implants can Often Fall Out
Another common myth involving dental implants is that they can often fall out. While sure, there’s the potential for this to happen as with any normal tooth, as previously mentioned with myth number 4 dental implant surgery gets to boast a staggering 95% to 98% success rate, making this an incredibly rare occurrence if and when an implant does fall out, get loose or fail to properly bond with the jawbone.
The vast majority of those who get dental implants will never experience any issues, and as long as you continue to take the same care of them as you would the rest of your natural teeth, then you’ll never have any issues either.
8. Dental Implants can Cause Headaches
Something of a more modern dental implant myth is the one that claims that dental implants will give you headaches.
The good news is there’s nothing that actually supports this claim. If a patient is to experience headaches or migraines after their dental implant surgery, then chances are it’s due to some kind of complication during the procedure.
Alternatively, a condition known as TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder could be the culprit. This is where a patient has a misaligned bite, and could certainly cause headaches following dental implant surgery.
9. Dental Implants Need a Lot of Maintenance
If anyone ever told you than dental implants require a lot of maintenance, then I’m afraid they’re just plain wrong.
Once a dental implant is in, it’s in, making it no different from the rest of your teeth. Compared to dentures, which need to be removed and cleaned regularly, dental implants are completely hassle-free, requiring only that you brush, floss, and use mouthwash regularly, just as you would with the rest of your teeth.