Why Dental Implants Are More than Just a Cosmetic Improvement

Losing a tooth, for whatever reason, is never good. Our smile is the first thing most people see, so when your smile reveals a prominent gap, it isn t a desirable look. Missing teeth can cause a loss of confidence, depression, and social anxiety. For women especially, the loss of a perfect smile is highly traumatic. Not surprisingly, replacing missing or damaged teeth is often seen as a cosmetic improvement, but what you may not understand is that replacing teeth is essential for your oral health.

Teeth work together. When one is missing, it places extra stress on the surrounding teeth, particularly at the front of the mouth. Every time you chew or put pressure on your teeth, the teeth adjacent to the gap have less support, so they are more likely to move. Over time, you may end up losing more teeth because of the stress. A gap in your teeth also places stress on your jawbone. In time, your jawbone may become weaker.

Chewing is less effective when you have missing teeth. Eating meat and other sinewy foods whilst wearing dentures can be uncomfortable. Food can get trapped in between your existing teeth and the denture. In fact, it is very hard to love food when you wear dentures!

It is relatively inexpensive to replace one missing tooth with a dental bridge or removable denture, but bridges and dentures need support too, so the more teeth you lose, the less effective they are. Bridges are susceptible to damage and dentures must be removed at night, so for many people, they are not a permanent solution. After all, who wants to wake up to see their teeth staring at them from a glass next to the bed?

Dental implants, on the other hand, are a permanent replacement for missing teeth and the next best thing to your own teeth. Unlike a dental bridge or denture, a dental implant looks and feels like a real tooth. A strong titanium screw is drilled into your jawbone and connected to an artificial tooth. As long as the procedure is carried out by an experienced dentist, your implants should last a lifetime.

Dentures need adjusting as your jaw changes and dental bridges rarely last more than seven years without needing to be replaced. Once a dental implant is in place, you can forget about it. Dental implants help support remaining teeth, so you are less likely to lose any more of your precious teeth. Dental implants also support the jawbone and can even stimulate healthy bone growth.

If missing teeth are making you miserable, ask your dentist about dental implants. Fitting implants is a complex procedure and should only be carried out by a skilled and experienced dentist. With dental implants in place, you can smile with pleasure, eat what you like, and get on with your life without worrying about your teeth. Even better, you don t need to worry about cavities in dental implants, so no more scary drill!