The Benefits of Dental Implants

There are many ways to improve your smile, but each of them comes with its own pros and cons. Your options are much more limited if you are missing teeth, as things like veneers and crowns will be off the table. Dental implants are one of the most versatile ways to give your smile an instant makeover and protect your oral health.

What are the benefits of dental implants?

• A Permanent Replacement

Providing that you take excellent care of your smile, you could have your dental implants in your mouth for a lifetime without issue. Dental implants are made of super-strong titanium that is anchored directly to the jaw. Titanium has a good success rate when carefully implanted, so the titanium base of your implant will integrate with the rest of your jawbone over time. Unlike bridges, crowns, or even veneers, dental implants can last your entire life.

• Preserve Other Teeth

Did you know that losing one tooth can affect every other tooth in your mouth over time? While each tooth has its own roots, every tooth also relies on the teeth on either side of it to get support. If one of your teeth is pulled out and you do not replace it with a dental implant, the teeth above it may change position, and the teeth on either side of it will also shift.

Especially if you have had braces or orthodontics in the past, adding a dental implant will stop you from losing all the hard work you invested into getting a beautiful smile.

• Avoid Premature Aging

Our teeth are not just in our mouths to help us eat and speak; they also help our faces look the way that they do. When you lose multiple teeth and replace them with dentures, the bones in other parts of your face will eventually start to deteriorate and sag. Over time, this is what leads many people with dentures to develop a drooping chin, jaw, or lip.

Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to solve this for denture patients, which makes dental implants a good alternative to preserve your facial beauty and prevent premature aging.

• Teeth That Feel and Look Natural

Some patients fear getting dental implants because they assume that they will be able to tell that their teeth have a metal base or that their mouth will taste metallic. In reality, dental implants feel and look exactly like your existing teeth. They also function in a similar fashion. Unlike dentures or other cosmetic solutions, you will be able to eat almost anything comfortably with dental implants.

• Maintain Bone Density

As we age, we naturally lose bone density throughout the body. This process can be accelerated in unique situations, like losing a tooth and not replacing it with a dental implant. After you have a tooth removed, the jawbone underneath it slowly deteriorates. Depending on your health and how quickly your body loses bone density, you could lose up to 25% of the volume in your jawbone within a year of your tooth extraction.

Even if you use another solution, like a bridge or dentures, there is no substitute for having something directly anchored in the jawbone. Dental implants are the best way to preserve as much jawbone density as possible, as they replace the tooth and the roots beneath it.

• Keep Other Teeth

Dental bridges are a common and safe way to replace a tooth, but they are not always the best choice for people who want to keep all their other teeth in the best condition possible. For most people, healthy teeth will need to be damaged in order to install the bridge in a comfortable way. In contrast, dental implants do not require any filing or adjustment of other teeth to be installed.

• Match Your Existing Teeth

Every dental implant is customized to your current smile, so it will seamlessly and naturally fit in with your grin. Dental implants are available in an endless range of shapes, sizes, and colors, and your dentist will work directly with you to determine the perfect fit for your needs. Once your dental implant is installed, there is a very low chance that anyone but you and your dentist will be able to tell that you do not have a natural tooth where it is sitting.

• No Tooth Decay

Finally, if you are used to having cavities filled and root canals to maintain your oral health, you will never need to worry about tooth decay with a dental implant. The material that dental implants are made from is very strong, and there is no risk of developing a cavity or rot in that tooth.

Contact our friendly team today to learn more about dental implants and to see if they are right for you.