25 Jun The Benefits of Dental Implants

By the time they reach age 50, American citizens have lost an average of 12 teeth apiece. Of course, some lose more, and some lose fewer. Regardless, the point remains: restorative dentistry is a vital part of many Americans’ lives.

In the realm of general dentistry, there are several ways to go about replacing lost teeth. That said, the most permanent choice is to get dental implants.

Learn more about the benefits of dental implants by reading below.

Implants Are Permanent

Perhaps the biggest benefit of dental implants is that they’re permanent. Because of this, you can treat them just like you would natural teeth. In fact, at some point, you’ll forget that they’re even synthetic.

This isn’t true of other tooth replacement options. For instance, dentures need to be taken out and properly cared for. Bridges last for 7 to 10 years, yes, but eventually need to be replaced.

When you get implants, however, you have metal rods embedded into your jaw bones. Barring any unexpected events, these will stay forever. The only portions of the implants that ever need to be replaced are the abutments that sit on top of these rods, and the crowns that sit on top of those abutments.

So, if you’re looking for a tooth replacement option that will last the long haul, look no further than the dental implant procedure.

Dental Implants Prevent Bone Loss

When you lose a tooth, the area of bone that used to hold it becomes prone to shrinking. This is because there’s no longer any stimulation in that area to induce growth.

Therefore, if you want to prevent bone loss in that area, you need to set up something else that will induce growth. A dental implant is the only tooth replacement option that will get the job done.

The metal rod implant will be implanted into the jawbone, after which, even more bone will grow around it. Once it’s in place, you’ll never have to worry about bone loss in that area of your jaw ever again.

Look Like Legitimate Teeth

Another big benefit of dental implants is that they look like legitimate teeth. The crowns that are placed atop the abutments are sized and shaped to fit in perfectly with your existing teeth. They also possess an exact shade of color.

While this tends to be true of bridges as well, it’s not always true of dentures. Yes, some dentures look realistic. Note, however, that if you have full-mouth dentures, some individuals might be able to tell that you’re sporting false teeth.

Therefore, if you want the most realistic look possible, dental implants are the way to go.

Dental Implants Assist in Speech

Your teeth contribute greatly to the way in which you annunciate words. Therefore, if you lose teeth, you might have trouble pronouncing certain words the same way in the future.

Dental implants can help you get around this problem by returning the shape of your teeth to their earlier state. When your implant is inserted, it will assume the shape and positioning of your previous tooth. This will enable you to speak in the same way you once did.

Now, bridges and dentures can help with this as well. However, a dental implant is the only permanent option for doing so.

An Implant Is Simple to Care For

When you use dentures, you must take extensive special measures to keep them clean and sanitary. This includes removing them, soaking them in special cleansers, and the like.

With dental implants, conversely, no special measures are required at all. In fact, you can treat them as you would any other teeth. Brush and floss them, and treat them with standard dental care, and they’ll stay just as sanitary as your authentic teeth.

They Don’t Affect the Look of Your Face

While bridges and dentures have the potential to alter the shape of your face, dental implants don’t, at least not after dental implant recovery has been fully completed.

See, the dental implant procedure essentially entails adding a new authentic tooth to one’s mouth. The metal rod acts as a new root while the abutment and crown act as a new tooth. Therefore, once the implant is in place, it affects the shape of the mouth in a way that is no different from the tooth that it replaced.

Implants Optimize the Force of One’s Bite

Dental implants are also beneficial in that they optimize the force of one’s bite. See, when a tooth is lost, there can’t be as much pressure applied when the two rows of teeth come together.

You can return pressure to an extent with bridges and dentures. That said, it won’t be anywhere near as forceful as you’ll get with a natural tooth.

A dental implant, however, acts as a natural tooth and therefore enables the teeth to come down with just as much pressure as they did before the tooth was lost. Therefore, if you want to optimize bite force and increase your oral health as much as possible, you need to choose a dental implant over a bridge or a denture.

They Preserve Their Adjacent Teeth

Often, when dental bridges are inserted, it becomes necessary for the dentist to file down their adjacent teeth so that the bridge fits properly. This not only alters the shape of the adjacent teeth but negatively affects their enamel as well.

With dental implants, however, there’s no need to affect the adjacent teeth at all. This is because the implant goes straight into the jawbone and doesn’t attach to any of the other teeth in the mouth.

Therefore, if you want to preserve all the other teeth in your mouth, you should choose a dental implant over a dental bridge.

In Need of General Dentistry in Mount Pleasant, SC?

What do you say? Are dental implants the right choice for you? In need of general dentistry in Mount Pleasant, SC?

If so, Smileworks has you covered. We’ve provided countless patients with dental implants. We’d love to do the same for you and return your teeth to their prime state.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment!