It can be difficult to appreciate just how important your teeth are until they’re missing. Losing just a single tooth can drastically impact your bite, speech, smile, and self-confidence. Whether it’s due to an accident or gum deterioration, tooth loss is devastating and patients who experience it are understandably eager for a solution.
Dentures and bridges are common options for tooth loss. While effective, neither truly restores the look and feel of your original teeth. Both also have a few inconvenient downsides like nightly cleanings and impacts to neighboring teeth. And because they don’t connect directly to the jaw, they can lead to poor oral health outcomes down the road. There is only one teeth replacement option that almost entirely reverses the negative outcomes caused by tooth loss: dental implants.
Why are dental implants so popular? They can actually make it feel like you never lost your teeth in the first place. Here are some of the specific benefits of this innovative procedure.
1. Dental Implants Look Natural
Tooth loss can carry a social stigma, so it’s embarrassing for many patients. Over time, this embarrassment can turn into self-confidence issues, depression, and anxiety. Some patients will even go out of their way to avoid social interactions.
Dental implants can solve the problem because they look real. The artificial caps installed as part of implants can match your adjacent teeth in shape, size, and color. This can be accomplished with such a high degree of accuracy that most people will not be able to tell the difference between your real teeth and artificial teeth. Even if you’re replacing your two front teeth, it’s unlikely anyone will notice a difference. Implants are the one solution for tooth loss that truly restores your smile.
2. Dental Implants Can Preserve Your Jaw
One of the worst consequences of tooth loss is jaw bone atrophy, which can change the entire shape of your face over time. Your teeth are attached to your jaw, and they provide it with the necessary stimulation to prevent atrophy. Without it, your bone will start to wear away which can not only impact more teeth, but it can also cause your face to sink.
One of the unique things about implants is they mimic the structure of your real teeth, so they can help you maintain a healthy jaw and prevent more tooth loss. Implants connect directly to the mandible with a titanium screw, so once they heal, they’re able to provide the stimulation needed to prevent atrophy. Unlike bridges, implants also don’t rely on adjacent teeth for stability.
3. Dental Implants Feel Natural
Implants restore your ability to chew, and one of their best advantages is they feel almost identical to real teeth. The only exception is implants lack nerves, so you won’t feel any pain, temperature, or pressure. However, what you can expect is a normal bite and a restored ability to chew with ease. There really aren’t any foods you can’t eat with implants. It won’t take long before you forget they’re even there.
4. Dental Implants Are Easy To Care For
Because implants aren’t real teeth, they’re not susceptible to rot and cavities. Since they’re permanent, they don’t need to be removed and cleaned every night. They’re also sturdy — real teeth are much more likely to break than implants. Good oral hygiene (regular brushing and flossing) is all that’s needed to prevent staining, care for them, and extend their longevity.
5. Dental Implants Restore Speech
Teeth influence how we pronounce certain sounds, and without them, we’re more prone to whistling and slurring words. This can also have social and professional consequences and often cause patients to feel shame. Unlike other teeth replacement options like dentures, dental implants can truly restore your speech.
Losing teeth doesn’t mean you need to lose hope. Implants can help you get back to normal. All-in-all, the number one reason dental implants are the most popular teeth replacement option is because they restore your quality of life. Teeth play a huge role in our ability to function from day to day, and without them, we lose the ability to perform basic functions. Implants restore the ability to eat and speak. They help preserve your oral health, and they’re a long-term solution that’s easy to care for.
Convinced implants are the right option for you? Ormond Beach Perio is one of the best implant dentistry practices in Central Florida. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Beauchamp at Ormond Beach Periodontics & Implant Dentistry today.