Dental implants look, feel, and function just like your natural teeth. With proper care and regular dental visits, your dental implants can last a lifetime. They are placed directly into your bone, and over time, they enhance the overall health of your jawbone by decreasing the rate of bone resorption. Even though dentists have been enhancing their patients' smiles for many years with implants, some people still believe some of the myths associated with them. Here are some common myths about dental implants to talk to your dentist about.

The Procedure Causes Pain

Some people avoid getting implants because they believe the procedure is painful. Fortunately, the entire implant procedure is relatively painless. Before each step of the procedure begins, you are given an anesthetic so that your entire mouth is numb.

As with any dental procedure, you may feel very mild discomfort afterward, but it is temporary and it quickly fades. If you experience mild discomfort after your procedure, your dentist will suggest that you take a non-prescription analgesic, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Another pain myth surrounding implants is that they can cause headaches. It is not known where this myth originated. In fact, because implants enhance jawbone health, you may experience an improvement in headache pain if you suffer from a misaligned bite, malocclusion, or temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ. 

Dental Implants Require Too Much Care

One of the most unusual myths about implants is that they require a great deal of care and maintenance. Because they function just like your own teeth, you care for them in the exact same way you care for your natural teeth.

Brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist on a regular basis is all you need to do. They actually need less care than dentures do. Dentures need to be removed so that you can clean them. You need to soak them in a glass of water with a denture tablet, and because dentures can slip out of place, you may need to use a sticky denture adhesive paste. You also need to make sure that you rinse your dentures thoroughly after they have been soaking in the denture solution. 

To learn more about how dental implants can improve your smile and bite, or if you want to learn more about the origination of the above implant myths, make an appointment with your dentist, who will address all of your concerns. 

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