Dental Implants
Are you looking for a permanent solution for your missing teeth? Then dental implants are worth considering.
A dental implant is a safe tooth replacement procedure that allows you to replace teeth that are missing, infected or broken teeth. A dental implant is optimal for anyone missing one or more teeth. The implant feels and functions like your natural tooth root. The good news is the implant is fixed right into your jawbone to integrate seamlessly with the tissues of your jawbone, forming a part of your own body.
Who is suitable for Dental Implants?
An ideal candidate for dental implants must have good general health, including healthy gums and enough jawbone to support the dental implant. Healthy gum tissues are free from periodontal disease.
Formerly patients who suffered from bone deficiency or had specific health issues or habits were not ideal candidates for implants. Now advances in treatment technology and bone reconstruction have made it possible for many patients to receive dental implants.
Advantages of Dental Implants
- Dental implants act like natural teeth – One of the biggest benefits of an implant is that it restores full chewing power. Many patients can’t even tell the difference between their natural teeth and the implant tooth! They can usually talk and eat, brush, and floss normally.
- Dental implants can last a lifetime – Dental implants are made from a metal called titanium, which is bio-compatible and fuse seamlessly with the jawbone tissues. Bio-compatible- meaning it is not toxic and is not rejected by the body.
- Dental implants can help you prevent gum disease – The gap left in your mouth when you lose a tooth can trap food and act as a site for bacteria to grow, causing gum disease.
- Dental implants keep adjacent teeth in place– A missing tooth gap can cause adjacent teeth to shift towards the hole; this causes your teeth to be crooked and can affect your bite, your ability to chew and your overall facial appearance. A poor bite can also lead to secondary health conditions and severe pain and headache.
- Dental implants can knock years off your appearance– When the tooth roots are left un-replaced, as with regular dentures, the bone mass and muscles around the jawline begin to deteriorate, and the face begins to sag, making a person look a lot older than his or her real age.
Dental Implants vs Dentures
There are several options for tooth replacement, so why dental implants? In traditional removable options such as crowns, dentures and bridges, the artificial teeth are not directly attached to the jawbone; they are only placed on the surface of the teeth and are prone to movement and shaking when you eat/chew, sneeze, laugh or even just talk. They never really form a part of your actual mouth structure. On the other hand, implants are inserted right into your jawbone and become part of your body.
- Dentures have a poor chewing ability. With dentures it isn’t easy to chew, and you tend to miss out on a lot of your favorite and healthy foods. Dental implants are much more robust and provide far superior functioning than dentures because they allow the jaw and mouth to perform in the same manner as the regular operation of your natural teeth.
- Dentures also tend to make these annoying “click-click” sounds when eating or talking. This is not so with dental implants.
- With dentures you are at risk of bone loss in your jawbone or around the missing tooth area; dentures don’t provide the stimulation needed to prevent bone loss. Pressure from chewing helps keep the jawbone stimulated, maintaining its volume and structure. Continuous bone loss can cause facial sagging, creating excessive wrinkles, thinning lips and a sunken face which can significantly age a person’s appearance. Anchoring dental implants in the jawbone stimulate bone and gum tissue ensuring an attractive, long-lasting aesthetic result.
- Dentures can slip out of your mouth. Implants on the other hand are securely fastened into your jawbone and will never slip out.
- Dentures that replace the entire upper teeth have a covering for the palate of your mouth. This covering can restrain your ability to taste. Dental implants are designed without a palate.
- Unlike dentures that have to be removed for cleaning, implants can be cared for by just brushing, flossing and routine dental visits.
Dental Implants Vs Dental Bridges
Replacing a missing tooth with a bridge requires altering healthy adjacent teeth to support the bridge. Bridges, just like dentures, tend to last only for five to ten years, compared to a dental implant which can last a lifetime with proper oral care.
Usually a bridge may seem more economical at first. However, with all their numerous lifelong benefits, dental implants can cost you less in the long term.
Are you ready to start your journey to permanent teeth replacement?