One of the questions we’re often asked here at Westside Dental Centre in West Kelowna is, “are dental implants right for me?”
Dental implants are seeing growth in popularity due to their effectiveness in serving as a replacement for missing teeth. Implants are indeed a solid alternative to dentures or bridges.
Many patients can benefit from dental implants. In fact, while there are some cases where dental implants are not recommended for specific patients, the vast majority of our clientele with missing teeth can see tremendous advantages with dental implants in Kelowna.
Let’s take a closer look at who can benefit from dental implants – and how – in this edition of the Westside Dental blog.
How Do Dental Implants Work?
Dental implants are, in essence, a replacement for missing teeth.
These titanium alloy implants are posts the fuse to the jawbone, surgically inserted, on top of which your replacement tooth or teeth are placed.
Dental implant options include:
- Teeth in a Day
- Bridge on Implants
- Single Implant & Crown
Dental implants also have numerous advantages over traditional dentures or bridges:
- No adhesives or creams are needed
- No plastic mouth cover required
- No need to file down adjacent teeth
- No impact on healthy adjacent teeth
Dental implants can also mitigate ongoing jaw bone loss.
As such, the large majority of our dental patients who are missing teeth can benefit from choosing dental implants.
Who Should Not Get Dental Implants?
Nowadays, thanks to technological and medical advances, virtually anyone who is missing teeth is a good candidate for dental implants.
Having said that, there are a few people for whom dental implants are either cautioned against or contraindicated. These include:
- People with certain chronic illnesses (e.g. diabetes, leukemia)
- People with other health conditions such as thyroid, blood disease or cancer (undergoing radiation therapy or chemotherapy)
- People without enough bone in the jaw to support the implant
If you have concerns about an underlying health condition and are wondering about what to do for your missing tooth or missing teeth, we’d be glad to speak with you about options for dental implants, dentures or bridges.
Who Can Benefit from Dental Implants?
Truly, most people who are missing a tooth or multiple teeth can benefit from tooth replacement with dental implants.
You may have heard that older people are not good candidates for dental implants in Kelowna. But that’s not necessarily true!
When evaluating whether dental implants are right for you, we’ll look at a number of factors; health is a much bigger factor than age itself.
If you are a smoker or were previously a smoker for years, let us know. That in and of itself doesn’t prevent you from being a good candidate for dental implants – again, we’ll look at your overall health.
If you currently have dentures, you may also be a good candidate for implants.
Dental Implants in Kelowna & The Okanagan
Talk to Westside Dental in West Kelowna about how dental implants could benefit you.
We’ve helped many patients in Kelowna and around the Okanagan get dental implants and restore their smile, confidence and day-to-day life!