Losing one or more teeth can significantly impact a person’s life, from the obvious aesthetic concerns to the practical issues of speaking and eating. The good news is that various options are available for replacing missing teeth, one of the best being dental implants.
What is a Dental Implant?
Dental implants are small, screw-like fixtures surgically inserted into the jawbone, acting as anchors for replacement teeth. They are manufactured with artificial tooth roots made of titanium. They hold artificial teeth and may be covered by crowns, dentures, or bridges. The tooth can last a lifetime if properly cared for by the patient. Here are the benefits of dental implants and why they’re an excellent choice for anyone looking to replace missing teeth.
Reasons to Replace Missing Teeth With Implants
- Preserve Jawbone
Losing jawline after tooth or teeth can alter your face’s shape, resulting in sagging skin, sunken cheeks, a collapsed appearance, and a misaligned bite. These changes are particularly noticeable when multiple teeth are missing. Dental implants help preserve the jawbone by stimulating it with each bite, which can help prevent bone loss.
- Maintain a Natural Look
Dental implants are designed to look, feel and function like natural teeth. They can match the color and shape of the surrounding teeth, ensuring a natural and seamless look.
- Restores Bite Force
Dental implants restore bite force by anchoring a titanium post into the jaw, replacing the tooth root. This allows for a bite force similar to natural teeth. Other tooth replacements, not anchored in place and sitting on gums, cannot restore as much bite force.
- Dental Implants Keep Neighboring Teeth Intact.
Dental implants stabilize neighboring teeth and prevent them from shifting toward any gaps created by missing teeth. Without this stability, teeth may become misaligned, affecting the bite, chewing function, and appearance. This can also hinder future tooth replacement options and contribute to issues with the temporomandibular joint, causing discomfort and headaches.
- Enables Natural Speech
Dental implants can restore your ability to speak comfortably and clearly, as they mimic the appearance and performance of natural teeth. This eliminates the speech impediments caused by missing teeth.
- Long-Lasting Solution
Dental implants are made of biocompatible materials, such as titanium, which integrate with the jawbone to form a strong and stable base for the new tooth. This process, known as osseointegration, helps to ensure that the implant will last a lifetime with proper care. In fact, dental implants have a success rate of over 95%, making them one of the most reliable options for tooth replacement.
- Easy to Care For
Dental implants don’t require any special care. You brush your implants like your natural teeth and floss between them to remove food particles.
- No Fear of Cavities with Dental Implants
While proper care is necessary to avoid bacterial buildup and oral infections, dental implants made from non-decaying materials eliminate the risk of developing cavities. Enjoy a lifetime of confident smiles with dental implants free from the fear of cavities.
Conclusion
Dental implants are the modern way to replace missing teeth because they work well and look great—even for people who were told nothing could be done. You are not only restoring your smile, but you are also improving the health of your gums and jaw. Dental implants can last a lifetime with proper care, so you won’t have to worry about them again.
