What are the Pros and Cons of Dental Implants? Our Johns Creek Dentist Explains

When researching the pros and cons of dental implants, a lot of websites will simply tell you how great they are, painting a rosy picture that isn’t based in reality.

You see the guy biting the apple or the woman with a perfect smile after her implant restoration, all of which are designed to get you to buy into the idea that dental implants are the perfect restorative dental solution for everyone.

That’s not always the case because every patient is unique.

Don’t get me wrong, implants are a fantastic way to replace missing or severely damaged teeth and can certainly enable many patients to experience a higher quality of life. I’ve restored many smiles with dental implants and crowns.

However, since I’ve been practicing dentistry for over 30 years (and practicing in Johns Creek since 1997), I can give you insights on not only the pros of dental implants, but also the “cons.”

I think it’s important to be transparent and to educate patients on both the advantages and disadvantages of the dental implant procedure, which is what I’m going to do in this article.

The Cons of Dental Implants

Let’s start with the bad news first, shall we?

The three points below can all be considered disadvantages of getting implants to some people. For other patients, these aren’t cons per se, they are just part of the process and are accepted as such.

Either way you look at it, they are potential hurdles that you should be aware of before deciding to move forward with dental implants.

Dental implants typically are not covered by insurance

There’s no reason to skirt around this point; dental implants aren’t cheap. Being that the dental implant process can be very complex and involve multiple appointments, an implant restoration typically runs in the thousands of dollars.

That being said, many patients who have successfully received dental implants from Lifetime Smiles view them as an investment in their quality of life. While perceiving implants as a cost may be a con, looking at it from an investment perspective makes them seem worthwhile to most patients.

Dental implants are worth it!

It’s also important to note that dental insurance won’t pay for dental implants. In fact, most dental insurance plans are outdated and don’t provide the coverage they really should, as I’ve outlined in this article.

A dental implant restoration is a surgery.

Make no mistake about it; a dental implant restoration is a surgical procedure. You will be safely and comfortably sedated throughout the dental implant surgery.

Essentially, what we are doing is replacing your natural, damaged tooth roots with titanium screws that will adhere to your surrounding bone structure through a process known as osseointegration.

The entire process can take several months due to healing.

Since this is a surgery where titanium screws have to fuse with your bone to form a sturdy anchor, the entire process can take months due to the fact that bone simply heals slowly.

It’s not uncommon for the entire implant process to take somewhere between 3-12 months.

The Pros and Benefits of Dental Implants

At Lifetime Smiles, our goal is to match each patient with the procedure that is right for them, which is why it’s so important to schedule your initial appointment.

If we believe you are a great candidate for dental implants, then these are a few of the advantages you have to look forward to:

Dental implants most closely mimic the functionality of your natural teeth.
Remember when you were younger and you didn’t have to worry so much about your teeth and could eat whatever you wanted? That’s the functionality that dental implants will bring back to your life.

While of course we recommend you eat healthy foods and practice good oral hygiene, you will have the ability to enjoy a lot of the advantages you probably took for granted before your teeth become damaged!

Dental implants with crowns can give you a beautiful smile.

A well done dental implant restoration with crowns will give you a very attractive smile. You’ll have the assurance of knowing your teeth are firmly in place.

You can smile big knowing that your crowns are made of a strong, natural-looking porcelain material that looks just like natural teeth.

Dental implants stay in place and don’t negatively impact your ability to eat or speak

Temporary, removable dentures affect your ability to smile big, eat what you want, and speak clearly. Dental implants have been the service of choice for many of our patients.

As mentioned earlier, dental implants will restore both aesthetics and functionality so that you can chew and speak confidently (without having to worry about your dentures moving around in your mouth).

Now that you know the pros and cons of dental implants, here’s the next step

If you live anywhere in the Johns Creek area north of Atlanta, and are interested in learning more about dental implants, we encourage you to schedule an appointment at Lifetime Smiles.

Dr. Forester has been practicing in Johns Creek since 1997 and has helped thousands of patients achieve incredible results with dental implants. Give our office a call today, or contact us here to schedule your dental implants consultation.