In spite of the fact that millions of people across the country suffer from Odontophobia, which is the DSM-IV classified phobia of the dentist, people are running to dental offices in droves to have cosmetic work done. Be it a quick painless procedure like teeth whitening, a longer process such as how to get free braces or the overall high price for braces, or an intense dental implant surgery, more than 2.6 million procedures are performed every year in the United States alone. If you are one of the nearly 100 percent of Americans who believe that a great smile is a social asset, here are a few facts you should know before making a dental appointment.
As little as 100 years ago, as many as half of all adults in North America were toothless. In a little under a century, thanks to improved dental care and awareness, fewer than 10 percent of adults over age 65 have lost teeth. Not only that, but the number of younger people who have lost teeth continues to go down drastically every decade. These days, the vast majority of tooth loss in people under 35 years of age is caused by athletic trauma, fights, or accidents. One of the most successful ways to replace these lost, but not forgotten, teeth is through the use of dental implants bu not as much by finding out how to get free braces.
A dental implant, which is actually is the only cosmetic dental procedure on the market today that gives a natural tooth like experience, consists of three parts. These include a titanium rod, a covering for this rod, and a tooth like crown. Dental implants are used as replacements for the roots of missing teeth to provide patients with an option that has a more natural feel that your average set of dentures. Since Tooth enamel is the hardest surface in the human body, great measures are taken to make sure that these new teeth will perform as well as they need to, even though they are not natural teeth.
Unlike some cosmetic dental procedures, dental implants have a bit of recovery time associated with them. This should not discourage you, because the benefits far outweigh the downtime you will experience. Once the dental implant is placed into the bone socket of the missing tooth, it takes about six to 12 weeks for the jawbones to fully heal around the implant to anchor it in place. In fact, since they need to be made of such substantial materials, they can last a whole life time if they are taken care of properly. All you need to do is make your way through those six to 12 weeks, and then you will rarely need to set foot in a dental office for the rest of your life.
If you have been putting off a visit to orthodontist offices for whatever reason, whether you are trying to get how to get free braces or not, you should make a call as soon as possible to avoid more pain and money in the future. Being proactive about your dental health can help make sure that you are not added to the statistic of toothless retirees. For more information see this.
