Tooth loss can be a cause for great concern among those who may feel self-conscious about speaking or smiling in public. Missing teeth can also lead to problems while eating and can hamper your overall oral health. While dentures and bridges have been around for decades, dental implants have proven to be a perfect and occasionally necessary solution for replacing your missing teeth.
Dental implants are made up of biocompatible materials like titanium or ceramics that can fuse with the surrounding jawbone they are placed in. Dental implants replace not just the missing tooth but the root as well, a feature that sets it apart from all other types of tooth replacement options. Most oral health professionals now recommend dental implants as their top choice for giving you your smile back. However, opting for dental implants can be a difficult choice, especially with the time and money investment involved with the procedure. Here is some information about the benefits of dental implants that could help you make a more informed decision.
Advantages of Dental Implants
- Dental implants are anchored into the jawbone, which permanently fixes them in one position. This eliminates the risk of the implant shifting or slipping out of the mouth while eating or talking.
- Dental implants can be cleaned just like you would clean your natural teeth by brushing and flossing. Unlike dentures, there is no need to take them out at night or soak it in water while not in use.
- The placement of dental implants does not affect the remaining teeth in the mouth. They do not rely on adjacent teeth for support, nor do they require any form of preparation of the remaining teeth in the mouth, as is the case with dental bridges.
- Dental implants have the closest resemblance to natural teeth in terms of look, feel, and functionality. They allow patients to eat and speak much like they would with their own teeth.
- Compared to all other types of tooth replacement, dental implants have the highest success rate – approximately 98%. With the right care and maintenance, dental implants can last for a lifetime without needing any kind of replacements.
Why You Should Choose Dental Implants?
Replacing missing teeth is essential since the consequences of not doing so can lead to more serious dental issues in the future. Loss of teeth will eventually lead to loss of bone in the region of the missing tooth, which can lead to distortion of the facial structure. The adjacent teeth also tend to tip into the empty space, causing problems with the bite and potential development of temporomandibular joint disorders.
Missing teeth can be replaced by a number of options like dentures and bridges. However, not every patient prefers or is well-suited to these types of replacements. Such people benefit the most by getting a dental implant procedure. The anchorage of dental implants into the jawbone preserves the bone structure and prevents the movement of adjacent teeth, thereby protecting the overall contours of the face.
An individual with healthy gum tissue, adequate bone support, and good overall general health is considered a good candidate for receiving dental implants. Even if you lack bone support in certain areas, a simple bone graft surgery can give you ideal structural strength that would provide excellent stability to the implant.
Visit us at Le Sueur Family Dental today to know whether you are a good candidate for a dental implant procedure.