You may be experiencing pains and difficulties with your teeth and are asking yourself “Do I need dental implants?” Before deciding on receiving dental implants in Vancouver, it’s important to discover what they are, how dental implants differ from dentures or bridges, and what makes an ideal candidate for dental implants.
What are dental implants?
Dental implants are tooth replacements that look and feel like real teeth. They are permanent, as they are attached to the bone mass of your jaw via surgery.
Most implants are composed of titanium, which is compatible with your mouth. They can work to fill in just one missing tooth, or many.
What are dentures?
Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Two types of dentures are available–complete and partial dentures. Complete dentures are used when all your teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain.
What are dental bridges?
Dental bridges literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap and a false tooth/teeth in between. These false teeth can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants.
Ideal Candidates for Dental Implants
According to Dr. Shin, one of the best dental implant dentists in Vancouver, an ideal candidate for dental implants must have enough bone mass in the jaw to support the implant once it’s fixed in. Other criteria for candidacy at the office of Dr. Shin in North Vancouver include:
- General good health
- One or more missing or broken teeth that need repair
- Ample jaw space
- Good gum conditions
- Can handle antibiotics and general anesthesia
- General adult age–implants are not recommended for children
Knowing whether or not you are an ideal candidate for dental implants can help you plan for the future. If your daily life has suffered due to your inability to properly eat, chew, breathe, smile, or even rest, then you may want to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Shin for this much-needed procedure.
About Dr. Shin
Dr. Sangmin Shin is the principal Doctor in Smile Well Dental Clinic. Born in Busan, South Korea, Dr. Shin studied Physics at Seoul National University, the top university in the country and received a degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) there as his first degree. After servicing as a principal engineer in Samsung Electronics, he decided to switch his career and studied Dentistry at Seoul National university, finally receiving his second degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and becoming a dental professional. His combined expertise has helped him to provide more patient-focused and evidence-based dentistry to patients so far.
As a scientist and clinician, he has serviced thousands of patients with his own clinic in Seoul, South Korea. Even though his goal is always to save patients’ natural teeth, he has done more than 1,000 dental implants for patients who had no other choice.
Dr. Shin is a member of the Canadian Dental Association and an organizer of Maple Study Club, where his BC colleagues discuss in-depth knowledge of comprehensive periodontics, prosthodontics, implantology, and orthodontics treatments. He is also taking continuing education in all phases of dentistry.