Teeth are the most visible part of our faces; when they’re gone, they can dramatically affect how we look and our oral health.
When you have missing teeth, your jawbone begins to shrink as it no longer has the support of your teeth. This leads to further tooth loss and an even weaker jaw. Missing teeth can also make you prone to tooth decay or infections, and these problems will only worsen if left untreated. Fortunately, dental implants are a great solution to missing teeth.
What Are Dental Implants
Dental implants are screw-like fixtures of the “root” and the “post.” The root is surgically embedded into the jawbone and is a strong foundation for the replacement tooth. The post is a long slender rod anchored into the jawbone above the implant and acts as alternate support for a new tooth prosthesis or partial denture.
Dental implants replace missing teeth by connecting to the jaw bone and acting as an anchor for artificial teeth, usually in the form of a crown or bridge. They can also be used to anchor dentures so they won’t slip or as an alternative to bridging; a dental bridge is an artificial structure connecting two natural teeth.
If you’re looking into dental implants as a solution for tooth loss, here is some helpful information about why you should get them.
Benefits Of Getting Dental Implants
They Look Natural
If you’ve ever removed a tooth, you know it can change your smile look. That’s why it’s so important to find a dentist who can replace any missing teeth in a completely natural-looking way.
Most dental implants are completely hidden; they aren’t visible when you smile or talk. The only way to tell that a person has dental implants is by touching the gums and feeling the ends of the posts.
By contrast, dental bridges and partial dentures are sometimes visible. With these restorations, you’ll either have capped posts or be able to see the posts if you bite down on something. Dental implants can be the solution you’ve been waiting for if you’re self-conscious about your smile.
They Restore Your Chewing Ability
Natural teeth and gums are essential to a healthy diet and lifestyle. The teeth are the first part of the digestive system that comes in contact with food. This means that solely relying on false teeth for chewing can result in nutritional deficiencies, poor eating habits, and even weight gain.
Dental implants allow you to bite and chew as you would with natural teeth, helping you maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. They also allow you to eat a wider variety of foods, including those that might have been off-limits to you.
For example, people with dentures often have problems chewing tough foods, such as meat, that require a lot of chewing. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies such as iron deficiency anemia.
It Can Help You Regain Your Confidence
If you’ve recently lost teeth, you might feel less confident about your smile. You may avoid public situations, such as going to the grocery store or visiting friends and family, because you don’t want to be asked about your missing teeth or face the stigma of false teeth.
Dental implants can help you regain your confidence by giving you a smile that’s both attractive and your own. They also allow you to eat and drink what you want, when you want, without worrying about someone noticing your missing teeth. When you smile confidently, you also make other people around you feel more comfortable.
They Help Stop Bone Loss
The surrounding gum tissue is forced to shrink and recede when a tooth is removed. The gum tissue surrounding the area where a tooth has been removed is no longer stimulated by the presence of a tooth or toothbrush.
Dental implants stimulate the jawbone, preventing bone loss that happens when a tooth is removed. This is because the implants connect your teeth and gums with natural ligaments, just as natural teeth are.
While dental bridges and partial dentures can also stimulate the jawbone, dental implants are more effective in preventing bone loss.
They Preserve Your Oral Health
Dental implants help preserve oral health by removing the risk of gum disease and tooth decay associated with getting fake teeth.
Gum disease is a severe oral health condition that can lead to tooth loss. It occurs when the bacteria usually found in the mouth build up and become too aggressive, attacking the soft tissues inside the mouth and causing swelling and redness.
Dental implants don’t cause the sensitive and gummy feeling that false teeth can. This is because implants are fixed to the jawbones and don’t move around as much as false teeth, making it harder for bacteria to grow.
Implants Are Very Strong & Durable
Dental implants are solid. When installed properly, they are about as strong as natural teeth. This is because dental implants are screwed into the jawbone, just as natural teeth are, using the bone’s natural resorption mechanism, which is a process by which bone is reabsorbed (broken down) by cells.
On the other hand, dental bridges and partial dentures are only held in place by teeth, which aren’t as strong as jawbones. When dental implants are correctly installed, they can last anywhere from 15 to 30 years, depending on your overall health. They may need to be replaced when the surrounding gum tissue and the jawbone become too weak to support them.
In Conclusion
The loss of teeth can have a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life. Not only do missing teeth make it difficult to eat certain types of food, but they can also lead to negative self-image and social anxiety.
Fortunately, dental implants are the best replacement for missing teeth. They look and feel like natural teeth and are far more robust and durable than false teeth. They also stimulate the jawbone, preventing bone loss that can happen when teeth are removed.
Get dental implants today so you can smile with confidence once more.
