With the theme “What’s your reason to smile?,” the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) is sponsoring Dental Implant Awareness Month in September. The celebration focuses on all the ways dental implants can improve lives.
By sharing information about the dental implant process – surgery, recovery, materials, cost – the Academy hopes to help candidates for implants make informed, healthy decisions.
Why Dental Implants are Right for Many People
There are several reasons that dental implants have become the gold standard in holistic tooth replacement. Dental implants are the only technique for reconstructing a smile that includes reconstructing what’s missing under the gums.
The implant itself replaces the extracted tooth’s root and actually integrates with the jaw, holding the implant and all the teeth surrounding it in their rightful places. The crowns for dental implants look and function like natural teeth, have equivalent bite strength, and last for decades when cared for properly.
At Wilmington Oral Surgery, we have been solving dental challenges with implants for over a decade. Not only do implants restore smiles, they allow patients to eat and chew normally again, which helps with self-esteem, weight maintenance, digestive health, and whole-body health.
Implants also help preserve bone and tooth health when compared to other solutions for missing teeth. They preserve the jawbone and facial structures; dentures and bridges do not. Dental implants feel and work like real teeth, fit securely, don’t require creams or adhesives, are long lasting, and are as easy to care for as natural teeth.
Once the implant site has healed, most of our patients forget they even have tooth implants!
Dental Implant Process: Ongoing Improvements
With recent technological advances, there has never been a better time to consider dental implants. The process has gotten easier and easier; in fact, in many cases we can now complete the process of preparation and implantation in a single treatment, known as same-day dental implants.
For patients without sufficient jaw health to take an implant, dental bone grafting has come a long way in a short time. With autologous dentin grafts and complementary treatments like platelet-rich fibrin, jaw bone grafts are highly successful at helping your body create new, healthy jaw tissue. Because of this, now more of our patients can become eligible for dental implant surgery.
As implant technologies have become more sophisticated, the pain involved has been greatly reduced. Today, computer-assisted planning results in more efficient implant placement, less patient discomfort, a reduced or eliminated need for bone grafting, and an easier recovery. With proper sedation and adherence to home instructions, many patients return to work and regular activities the next day.
Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?
You may be a good candidate for dental implants if:
- Your jawline has stopped growing.
- You have good bone density. Through bone grafts, even people with bone loss can get implants, but the process is lengthier and more complex.
- You practice good oral hygiene and have good gum health. Patients with active periodontal disease cannot get implants until the disease is completely gone.
- You are willing to commit to after-surgery recommendations. The implant process is usually straightforward, but you must be willing to commit to excellent oral hygiene for several months during healing, and not smoke or drink alcohol, both of which can interfere with healing.
Wish a Smile: Implants for Those Who Can’t Afford Them
In honor of Dental Implant Awareness Month, the AAID Foundation is seeking donations for its Wish A Smile Program. Through Wish A Smile, AAID-dentists credentialed by AAID serve people with congenital defects who need implants but can’t afford them.
One beneficiary was Andrew, 24, an artist/poet with Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. Andrew’s two top teeth never grew in, making chewing and speech difficult. His family couldn’t afford implants, so Andrew’s general dentist recommended him for Wish a Smile. After his surgery, Andrew sent artwork and poetry to the foundation in gratitude. He wrote, “Your interest in helping me brought a smile to my face.”
To volunteer or donate to Wish A Smile, visit: https://www.aaid.com/foundation/Wish—a—Smile.html.
At our oral surgery practice, we do everything we can to make the dental implant process affordable for our patients. We work with your insurance company to make sure you get the maximum benefits you deserve. We only charged for the quality of services rendered, and we bill anesthesia and sedation for the surgery different than other practices. We’re able to save our patients $300-$800 per dental implant.
Dental Implant Advocates: The AAID and AAID Foundation
Founded in 1951, the AAID is the leading organization of dentists offering dental implants. The AAID’s implant credentialing program is the only such program in the U.S. recognized by state and federal courts.
The AAID Foundation was started in 1982 to further the science of dental implants, and to help provide implants to financially disadvantaged individuals. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by AAID members and corporate sponsors. For more information contact the foundation at foundation@aaid.com or call 312.335.1550. You can find their website at www.aaid.com/foundation.
