The Myth! Do Implants Feel Like Real Teeth?

One question to consider when getting a dental implant consultation is “Will the implants feel like my real teeth?”. Implants can give the user a more natural look and feel than dentures, but do they feel natural?

What are dental implants?

Before implants, the only option for replacing a tooth was removable dentures or a fixed bridge. These options were hard to maintain and could cause massive discomfort. Dental implants came as a relief for people with these types of fixtures, but what exactly is a dental implant. Click here to learn more about dental implants.

If you want to understand how implants feel, you must first understand what an implant involves. If you are missing teeth due to dental trauma or extraction, a dentist can use an implant as a replacement for the tooth root.

Dental implants also offer a patient a way to keep healthy teeth healthy by leaving them alone but still providing a solid foundation in the jaw bone. This foundation can support any dental prosthesis needed and then hold it in place.

Typically, an implant has a titanium screw that is placed in the jaw bone and a post. The implant’s titanium is biocompatible and will fuse with the bone to provide a root for the missing tooth. This ability also allows it to become a solid foundation for the screw and other parts that are on top. These different parts can include dental crowns, bridges, or dentures.

With this capability, dental implants are one of the best options for long-term tooth replacement. However, is it the best choice for you? The following information includes five facts about dental implants to help you make this decision.

What information do you need about dental implants?

  1. The dental implant process has a high success rate.
    Many people fear the dentist, so only visit when necessary. Others visit the dentist their entire adult life. These individuals have also experienced dental implants without any side effects or complications during the procedure.
    Of course, the success rate of any procedure varies depending on the health of the patient. With dental implants, the location of the implants in the jaw and the experience and expertise of the professional who is performing the procedure also significantly affect the success rate.
    However, when an implant specialist like Dr. Hanookai performs a dental implant procedure, studies show a success rate of up to 95%.
  2. Most implants look and feel natural.
    The creators of the dental implants worked hard to ensure they look, feel, and fit exactly like your natural teeth. The goal was to make a clone of the missing tooth or teeth. This clone will be almost perfect when performed by a dental specialist. The natural feel of an implant comes from the fact it is fused to your jawbone.
    When the crown is designed, a specialist will also take special care to ensure the final product cannot be distinguished from your natural teeth. You never want anyone to ask if you have had teeth work done and implants can help prevent this from happening.
  3. Implants will make eating more enjoyable.
    A dental implant allows the individual to have the best natural, satisfying eating experience when compared to other dental treatment options. This fact means you do not have to be extremely careful when eating with dental implants.
    Dentures can slide when you are eating which makes it unenjoyable. With dental implants functioning like your natural teeth, you can eat all of your favorite foods without worrying about this issue. Dental implants also enable you to apply the same amount of force as your natural teeth.
  4. Dental implants can be a replacement root for your extracted teeth.
    If a tooth is lost, it can create a hole where the root was located. Regrettably, other tooth replacement procedures only focus on the top of the tooth or the crown. With dental implants, the focus is on the part of the teeth that cannot be seen. This part includes the roots and sub-level.
    Your teeth’s root system is attached to your jawbone similar to a tree’s root system. The implant mimics this system by making contact with the bone and tricking it into believing it is the root of the missing tooth.
    This trick encourages new tissue to grow around the implant making a natural bond. If the dental implant is not in the root position, you will lose the mass and density of the jaw over time.
  5. Dental implants can encourage the protection of your healthy teeth.
    Dental bridges used to be a widely used dental replacement option. This procedure involved the dentist cutting parts of healthy teeth close to the missing teeth to allow a balance of the dental bridge. It is now possible to position a bridge on the implant itself removing the need to damage other teeth.

Do implants feel natural?

Now that you understand the process, you may still be wondering if the implants feel natural. When an implant is used to replace missing teeth, you will not have any feeling in the implant itself. The feeling, if any, will come from the gums that surround the implant.

With this issue, it is impossible for the implant to feel exactly like your natural teeth. A natural tooth has roots that include nerves. With these nerves, you can feel sensations such as heat, pressure, and coldness.

With an implant, you do not have roots or nerves, so you can not feel these sensations. The sensations must come from the nervous in the gum tissue that surrounds the implant. Besides this dependency on the surrounding gum tissue, an implant looks, feels, and functions like your natural teeth.

Southland Dental Care can provide All on 4 dental implants to replace your missing tooth. These implants can be created to blend in perfectly with your healthy teeth. With Dr. Hanookai as a dental implant specialist, you can be assured that you can quickly clean and care for your implants.

After a few short weeks, you will hardly notice a difference between your implants and your natural teeth. If you still have questions, give Southland Dental Care a call or schedule a consultation today.

Dr. Hanookai is a highly skilled implant dentist with years of experience who can provide answers for all of your questions. Let Southland Dental Care give you your best smile.

Published On: September 30th, 2018 / Categories: dental implants /