They are an excellent long-term option for restoring your smile. In fact, the development and use of implants is one of the biggest advances in dentistry in the past 40 years. Dental implants are made up of titanium and other materials that are compatible with the human body. They are posts that are surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw, where they function as a sturdy anchor for replacement teeth.

Most patients find that a dental implant is secure, stable and a good replacement for their own tooth.

However, while individuals planning to go for this option can find numerous resources on how the procedure is performed, they need to know that there are certain criteria to qualify for San Diego dental implants, and having missing teeth is not the sole pre-requisite. So how exactly are candidates determined?

Using an Intraoral Camera

An intraoral camera is designed to take highly magnified images of an individual’s mouth. The photos will be taken from different angles like full face, smile, upper arch, and lower arch. One can think of them as the mouth’s selfies— after all, Time magazine says San Diego is among the U.S.’s top 20 “selfiest” cities. These will serve as bases for a dentist in San Diego to recommend implants or not. However, these images won’t be the only bases.

Using Panoramic X-Rays

Panoramic radiography takes an entire image of a person’s mouth, including the teeth, upper and lower jaws, plus surrounding structures and tissues. People can liken it to those chest X-rays they usually take for their annual physical exams or APEs. Panoramic X-rays are reliable ways to point out advanced periodontal diseases, oral cysts, tumors and oral cancer, and TMJ disorders.

Reviewing Panoramic X-Rays

Dentists now have to evaluate the patient’s bone in the AOL desktop gold customer support area targeted for the implant, taking into account its width and height. Should they determine there is insufficient quantity or quality of bone, they may recommend bone grafting or other tooth replacement options.

A dental implant is a good teeth replacement option. However, people with missing teeth will first need to consult experienced dentists like Dr. Justene Doan, DDS of A+ Family Dentistry who will then assess if they are good candidates for the procedure or not.

(Source: Implants, mouthhealthy.org)