Replacing missing teeth is important for your overall oral health, confidence, and quality of life. When you have natural teeth missing, you can experience a host of issues, including a loss of functionality. If left untreated, your mouth can also deteriorate rapidly. Dental implants from a cosmetic dentist can help you feel and look better, improve your quality of life, and can allow you to regain your self-esteem.
Dental implant treatment is the next best thing to real teeth and they’re designed to function, feel, and look like your natural teeth. Essentially, dental implant treatment can prevent additional issues, allows you to continue to eat the foods you love, and can allow you to smile with confidence.
What Is a Dental Implant?
Dental implants are made from titanium alloy. The implant posts are designed to mimic and replace the natural tooth root. Once the titanium post has been inserted, it becomes a permanent part of the jaw. An abutment protrudes from the gum line and is connected to each implant. A crown is placed on top of an abutment, which is an artificial tooth that’s designed to match the color and shape of a patient’s natural teeth.
Benefits of Dental Implants
When it comes to replacing a damaged or missing tooth, you have many options available. However, dental implants remain the most popular choice for many reasons and offer a wide range of benefits that other alternatives just can’t.
Durability and Longevity
Without proper dental hygiene, over time, teeth can begin to decay and will eventually fall out. Dental implants provide a durable, natural-looking solution for tooth replacement. Made out of titanium, an implant is custom fabricated to mimic the dimensions and contours of a natural tooth. The root is embedded in the jaw bone, in the exact spot the natural tooth once was. Supported with natural or artificial bone dust, the implant will take root in the jaw bone. This process is called osseointegration and involves the bone and implant essentially fusing together. For a dental implant procedure to be considered a success, the osseointegration process must be completed.
Support for Overall Oral Health
Artificial teeth still require care and cleaning to prevent bacteria from building up in the mouth, resulting in infection, but dental implants are made out of materials that can’t decay. This means you won’t have to worry about getting cavities.
Additionally, since the implants are anchored into the jaw bone, a person with an implant will enjoy the same chewing power they did with their natural teeth. Other tooth replacement alternatives don’t restore as much of a person’s natural bite force, requiring them to make changes to their diet and avoid foods that are tooth hard or difficult to eat.
Gaps in the mouth that are caused by missing teeth can cause the other teeth in the mouth to shift positions. This can lead to misalignments. Inserting a dental implant can help prevent this issue from occurring.
Cosmetic Benefits
The teeth help to support the structure of the face. When a person loses teeth, they lose that support. The loss of this support can cause a person’s face to change shape, which can cause them to look older than they are. Dental implants provide the support that’s similar to natural teeth, preventing structural changes in the face.
The loss of natural teeth can also cause the loss of bone mass in the jaw. The jaw bone requires the stimulation it gets when the teeth connect, to maintain mass. The only permanent tooth replacement option that provides that type of jaw bone stimulation is dental implants.
Since dental implants are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, a dentist can work with their patient to match the color of their regular teeth and ensure they receive an implant that will perfectly match and fit in the gap.
Dental Implants vs. Dentures or Bridges
Titanium implants can last a lifetime and are as durable as natural teeth. These implants preserve the natural facial structure and stimulate bone growth.
Dental bridges involve grinding away healthy adjacent teeth that are used to support and attach the bridge. Bridges don’t stimulate natural bone growth, so over time, the bone may deteriorate. On average, bridges can fail after five to ten years since a patient may have trouble flossing them, making the root surfaces around and below the bridge susceptible to decay.
Full or partial dentures rest on top of the gums. This tooth replacement option can be uncomfortable, can affect a person’s ability to fully taste their food, and can lead to painful sores on the gums where the missing teeth were. Traditional dentures can also click and shift when talking, eating, or coughing. Additionally, because there is extensive bone loss involved due to missing teeth, denture use can change a person’s facial structure.
Contact Stuart Curry Dentistry Today to Schedule an Appointment
At Stuart Curry Dentistry, many of our patients ask us about dental implants, how they work, and if they’re really a great alternative to natural teeth. If you’re currently missing one or more of your natural teeth, or you’re considering dentures or another type of tooth replacement option, contact our dental office today to learn whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants. Dental implants can have a major positive impact on your life in many ways, from boosting your self-esteem and allowing you to eat the foods you love, to improving your quality of life and restoring your smile. Contact Stuart Curry Dentistry today to schedule an appointment to learn more.
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