For many, dental implants seem like a scary procedure. But despite how scary dental implants can sound, implants are actually one of the safest, most reliable dental procedures your Columbia, SC dentist can give you, and easily the most effective solution to tooth loss.

If you’re one of the 178 million Americans missing at least one tooth, you may be suffering from impacts to your smile, your diet, and even your overall oral health thanks to that gap in your grin. But there’s no need to weather the negative effects of tooth loss for the rest of your life. Dental implants can solve the problem permanently — and there’s no need to fear them!

dental implant x-ray

Allaying Your Dental Implant Fears

It’s already been shown that fear of the dentist can actually negatively impact your oral health thanks to people with dental anxiety tending to skip appointments and avoid seeing the dentist even when it’s necessary. Don’t let your fear of dental implants prevent you from getting a tried-and-true procedure that can correct your missing tooth for life. In fact, your fears are probably unfounded.

One common fear that people have about any dental procedure is pain. But you may be surprised to hear that the procedure is actually very easy. Anesthesia will ensure that you don’t feel any pain during the procedure, and an experienced implant dentist can perform the actual implantation extremely quickly.

As for pain after the procedure, just like any major procedure, there will be a period of recovery during which you will feel some discomfort. But your dentist can provide advice and medication to manage that discomfort and keep you feeling as good as possible during the healing process. Most people report that the discomfort following a dental implant procedure is much less than following an extraction.

Another thing that may be contributing to your worries is rumors of implant rejection. While it’s entirely possible that your implants may be rejected, the chances of that happening are extremely low — less than 2%, actually. Your dentist will also screen you for the kinds of lifestyle choices and health issues that might increase your risk of implant rejection, to ensure that you are a good fit for the procedure. In the vast majority of cases, rejection is never a real risk.

We Can Calm Your Fears

Don’t let baseless worries keep you from replacing a missing tooth. Instead, it’s best to talk to a dentist about your concerns and find out the truth.

If you’re ready to move forward with dental implants, you need a great implant dentist to do the job. If you’re interested in dental implants in Columbia, South Carolina, call (803) 781-9090 or contact us online to make an appointment.