What are the benefits of dental implants?
Dental implants give you your smile back
You no longer need to be self-conscious about talking, smiling and eating. Dental implants can give you confidence in social situations and can allow you to do sporting activities, such as swimming and skiing, without worrying about your dentures falling out of place, because dental implants are fixed.
Better esthetics
Dental implants are natural-looking and feel like the teeth you were born with because they are secured into your jaw. They are also long-lasting.
Better speech
With dental implants, you are free to speak without the replacement teeth moving. Poorly fitting dentures can move as you talk, making speech difficult and embarrassing.
Better comfort
Dental implants feel like your natural teeth since they are anchored into your jaw, and so there is no discomfort as can sometimes be caused by dentures.
Better chewing ability
Eating can be challenging with dentures that move when you chew. You can eat without dental implants moving, since they function like a natural tooth and are fixed in place.
Better confidence
Getting back your smile with dental implants will improve your confidence.
Better oral hygiene and dental health
Free standing dental implants function like natural teeth, and can be easily cleaned, allowing for improved oral hygiene when compared to a bridge. Also, with a traditional bridge healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth need to be ground down. This is not necessary with dental implants, leaving the healthy adjacent teeth untouched.
Long-lasting
Dental implants are sturdy and long-lasting. If they are properly cared for, they may last a lifetime.
Easy to clean
Dental implants are cleaned by brushing and flossing, the same as your natural teeth. Consider the inconvenience of cleaning dentures, especially if creams or pastes are needed to stop them from moving around in your mouth.
Why should I consider dental implants?
If you are missing one or more teeth, you aren’t alone. Millions of adults are missing teeth, and this often leads to an unattractive smile, discomfort or trouble eating due to poorly-fitting dentures. Often patients also encounter embarrassment when talking, laughing, eating, or playing sports.
Bridges and dentures
Traditionally, missing teeth were restored with bridges, removable partial dentures, or complete dentures. These treatments may pose problems for patients.
When a bridge is placed, healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth are ground down and capped to support the bridge. This weakens the healthy adjacent teeth and may lead to dental problems in the future.
Dentures can be uncomfortable and may move around, slip, or even fall out, giving patients a hard time when eating or talking. Patients are also sometimes embarrassed and experience decreased self-confidence.
Bridges and dentures do not prevent bone loss in the area of the missing tooth or teeth.
Benefits of dental implants
- They can replace one missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or one or both arches of missing teeth.
- They are anchored into your jawbone and do not move. You don’t need to worry about them slipping or falling out, as may happen with dentures.
- They very closely resemble natural teeth in function, esthetics, and feel.
- They let you eat foods you could eat with your natural teeth, unlike dentures which may restrict your ability to chew certain foods.
- They have an overall success rate of 96%. They have been used for decades and thoroughly researched.
- They do not affect adjacent healthy teeth, which is the case with conventional bridges.
- They preserve bone in the site of the missing tooth or teeth because they osseointegrate with the surrounding bone and prevent bone loss.
- They may last a lifetime if properly cared for.
How do dental implants preserve bone?
The roots of your natural teeth preserve the surrounding bone through function. When a tooth is missing, the surrounding bone erodes. After a long period of time, other teeth can be lost, and your overall dental health can suffer.
If you are missing many or all of your teeth, your jawbones can deteriorate a great deal, giving you a “sunken” facial appearance. This can make you appear older. Traditional bridges and dentures do not prevent bone loss in the site of the missing tooth or teeth.
Dental implants prevent bone loss because they fuse to the bone in the area of the missing tooth or teeth, maintaining the integrity of the bone around the implant. This provides stability. If you are missing all your teeth, dental implants will protect against erosion of bone and help preserve your natural facial appearance.
Why should I replace my missing teeth?
It is common for adults to lose one or more teeth at some point in their lives, whether due to an accident, neglect, decay, or deterioration due to old age. Having one or more missing teeth can have a negative impact on your appearance, self-confidence, and dental health.
Your appearance and confidence can be affected
If you are missing one or more teeth you may be reluctant to smile, laugh or even talk in social or business situations. Poorly-fitting dentures may lead people to avoid eating in front of others. People who are missing one or more teeth may feel as though they have lost part of themselves, or are getting older.
Dentures provide a set of artificial teeth to restore your smile, but may not help restore your self-confidence. They may move, slip, or fall out completely when a patient is playing sports, talking, or eating.
Your health
Your teeth do more than enable you to chew. They also function to keep your gums, jawbones, and other teeth healthy. Missing teeth can have a negative impact on your overall dental health.
When a tooth is missing, the opposing tooth will over-erupt, which may lead to changes in your bite. Adjacent teeth can tilt or drift into the site of the missing tooth or teeth. Also, spaces where a tooth or many teeth are missing can trap food.
When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone will resorb. More bone is lost the longer the tooth is missing, and the jawbone will noticeably shrink over time.
It can become harder to chew food when teeth are missing. If you wear dentures you may not be able to eat certain foods that you were able to eat with your natural teeth.
