As a kid, you weren't worried if your teeth fell out. In fact, you almost waited for that to happen hoping the tooth fairy would supplement your pocket allowance for a bit. Almost every tooth was worth saving for the tooth fairy. In the teenage years, a broken tooth was a medal of a brave attempt that might have gone wrong or other minor accidents you had which lead you to miss one of your pearly whites. Now, you have grown up, the tooth fairy is long gone and missing teeth are jarring to an otherwise great appearance and you want it fixed, soon. Sometimes, age is a factor and while you slather on the anti-wrinkle creams for your skin, there seems to be no quick fix solution for the teeth you are missing. Whatever the reason for the loss of your teeth, dental implants are a great way to restore your smile.

What are dental implants?

To understand dental implants, we need to know a tooth's anatomy. Essentially, your tooth is made up of two parts- the crown and the root. The crown is the white, hard part that you see when you open your mouth. The root is the unseen part, below the crown, that secures your tooth to the jawbone.
To replace a missing tooth, you need dental implants. The implants are artificial tooth roots. Like a natural tooth, the roots of an implant are attached to the jawbone and practically disappear from view once placed. Above the implant, prosthetic teeth will be visible. Made out of titanium, implants are resilient, lightweight and accepted easily by the body. Titanium works brilliantly here, fusing with the bone in due time, a process called osseointegration ('Osseo' means bone and 'integration' means joining) by dental professionals.

While dental implants are fast gaining a great reputation to replace teeth, they are also helpful in supporting a number of relatively minor dental procedures including crowns, bridges and dentures.

Besides being comfortable, dental implants also provide considerable oral health benefits. They do not require the neighbouring teeth to be altered, which is better for you. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding bone structure is also affected. Dental implants can help stabilize this bone.

How does it work?

Dental implants require a thorough investigation of your teeth, bone structure, the number of teeth you need replaced and most importantly, any other major or minor illnesses you may be suffering from. Certain ailments might have a direct effect on the way the implants take to your body. Your dental practitioner and team will decide the best way to go about this. Once deemed necessary and safe, you will need surgery to get your dental implants. You may not need as many implants as the number of teeth you need replaced. Each implant can hold one or more prosthetic teeth. Post surgery, it will take 2 to 6 months for your gums to completely heal. The procedure demands precision and experience, so you might want to talk to your doctor about the details.

As with all medical procedures, you will need to consider the risk factor of such a treatment. However, with a sound success rate of 75 per cent, you don't have much to worry about.

What happens after?

Immediately after the surgery, you may experience some facial swelling and discomfort but nothing that will keep you away from work for more than a day or two. Of course, pain thresholds and recovery times are specific to each person and the duration may vary for different people.

Look-wise, your teeth will look natural and healthy. It should boost your self-confidence and will definitely add to your smile. A caveat though, you have to maintain your dental implants once you get them, which should be easy. Oral hygiene will have to be a priority and regular visits to your dental practitioner will be a must. Go ahead, add a sparkle to your smile!