When one wants to make a good first impression one of the first things they care about is how their teeth appear. If meeting new people is difficult, most individuals blame how their teeth look. Over time our teeth get discolored or because of an accident we either lose them or damage them permanently. They act like a calling card and are the basis for people's first impression of us.

Many years ago when people lost their teeth and their only options were either dentures or bridges. While these temporarily fixed the issue, bridges were very hard to maintain. They were hard to floss and this increased the frequency of serious periodontal diseases. Bridges were not a permanent solution and they were the reason why people suffered from gum and bone diseases.

Dental implants were introduced a number of years ago and quickly became the preferred treatment over bridges. They were a more permanent solution to the problem and people took to them for this and many other reasons. They were cheaper, because replacing them occurs less often and they were made of more long-lasting material. Eating, speaking or chewing could be enjoyed as if they were your original set of teeth.

Dental implants never decay and that makes them a great solution. Surrounding teeth don't need to support implants so crowns are not necessary. Bridges rely on crowns to hold things in place; with dental implants they are totally unnecessary. With adjacent teeth being a non-factor, patients never have to worry about them decaying.

Dental implants can be expensive and most insurance policies don't cover them. The advantage to dental implants is that, if they are properly cared for and maintained, they can last for a very long time. The cheaper solution is bridges, but their life expectancy is about 10 years maximum. So if you're going to invest your hard-earned money you might as well get implants. They are a better investment of your time and money and they have a very high success rate.

Everyone is a candidate for dental implants, except diabetics or smokers. These patients have a lower supply of blood flowing in their mouth. This makes it difficult for the dental implant to fuse with your jawbone.

The odds of your success are also greatly increased by selecting the right cosmetic dentist for this procedure.