The loss of your teeth can have negative effects on your ability to eat, your bite, facial structure and self-confidence. Since your teeth provide structure and support to your face, tooth loss can result in the sagging of your facial structure, sometimes called a sunken face and make you appear older than you are. It is important that missing teeth get replaced as soon as possible.A dental implant is a titanium prosthetic that is anchored into your jaw-bone and supported by a crown, bridge or secured denture. Through osseointegration, titanium dental implants fuse and integrate with bone tissue, creating a stable support for new teeth.
Dentures are removable prosthetics that look like natural teeth. They are designed to emulate and function like your own natural teeth. Dentures are removable but can often be held in place with denture adhesive.
Because dental implants act as a tooth root and fuse with bone tissue, they have several health advantages over removable dentures. Here are 5 advantages dental implants have over removable dentures.
1. Prevents bone loss
Tooth loss and empty spaces in your mouth can lead to health issues, such as bone atrophy, which may change the shape of your jaw. A dental implant replaces the missing tooth and stimulates bone growth, thus preventing loss of bone structure.
Bone loss is a problem for people who have dentures, because they don’t have a support structure to replace the missing tooth. Gradually the shape of their jaw will change and the dentures will need to be adjusted or re-made to fit the new shape of the jaw. Bone loss can also make a person look older, since the area around the mouth can sag as bone is lost.
2. Improves function
Eating certain foods can be a problem with sliding dentures. The force of chewing hard foods can be painful and irritate your gums with dentures. Dental implants, when permanently infused with your natural bone, function just like natural teeth. You can eat the foods you love again, speak with confidence and without pain.
3. Better aesthetics
Dental implants are strong and stable. They look, feel, fit and function like a natural teeth. Dentures that come loose need to be repositioned and look unnatural if they do not blend in with your gums. Dental implants provide better functional and cosmetic results.
4. Easy care and maintenance
Dentures are removable and require special cleaning and soaking at night. Cleaning dental implants requires regular brushing and flossing, just like your natural teeth.
5. Improved Oral Health
Dental implants don’t require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health.
Dental implants are more predictable than any other restoration methods. Treatment by a proven implant dentist with a track record of reliable, long-term successful outcomes is often considered more predictable than other treatments to replace missing teeth. If you are interested in replacing your dentures with dental implants, contact Sedation and Implant Dentistry of Tehachapi to schedule a consultation and start eating the foods you love again.
