Dental implants are often marketed as a cosmetic service, and it’s easy to see from the Before and After photos why this is. Implants can completely transform a smile from broken and gapped into a stunning array of white, straight teeth.

However, when a dentist in Lyndhurst, OH recommends the service to you, they may bill it more as a necessary procedure, one that prevents you from losing more teeth or bone loss. Here, we’ll look at the facts of implants and why you might see them categorized differently depending on who you talk to.

Cosmetic Dentistry in a Nutshell

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t necessarily fully separated from general dentistry, and this is somewhat due to differing opinions and somewhat due to insurance coding. If insurance companies want to cut costs, one of the easiest ways to do it is to categorize implants as cosmetic.

Are Implants Necessary?

Technically, dental implants in Lyndhurst, OH are not necessary. Dental bridges and partial dentures are both ways in which you could fill the space to prevent other teeth from slipping into the space and to take the pressure of them. These options can also help you preserve the jaw bone underneath, which may begin to deteriorate when there’s nothing to support above.

Why Dentists Recommend Implants

Dentists recommend implants not just because they look great, but because they do what no other option can: they extend into the bone the same way that your nerves extend to the bone. The implant and abutment don’t just anchor the tooth, they mimic the structure that you’ve lost. Plus, they don’t rely on your other teeth (as much) to pick up the slack, the same way that a bridge or partial denture does. It’s a permanent solution that you may be able to count on for the rest of your life.

If you’re interested in dental implants, whether it’s to flash your grin around Legacy Village or just to have a full set of teeth to brush and floss, contact Lyndhurst Family Dental to learn more about our practice and how we support our patients from the initial consultations to the final followups.