BENEFITS

Why should I consider dental implants?

If you are missing one or more teeth, you aren't alone. Millions of adults are missing teeth, and this often leads to an unattractive smile, discomfort or trouble eating due to poorly-fitting dentures. Often patients also encounter embarrassment when talking, laughing, eating, or playing sports.

Bridges and dentures

Traditionally, missing teeth were restored with bridges, removable partial dentures, or complete dentures. These treatments may pose problems for patients.

When a bridge is placed, healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth are ground down and capped to support the bridge. This weakens the healthy adjacent teeth and may lead to dental problems in the future.

Dentures can be uncomfortable and may move around, slip, or even fall out, giving patients a hard time when eating or talking. Patients are also sometimes embarrassed and experience decreased self-confidence.

Bridges and dentures do not prevent bone loss in the area of the missing tooth or teeth.

Benefits of dental implants

  • They can replace one missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or one or both arches of missing teeth.
  • They are anchored into your jawbone and do not move. You don't need to worry about them slipping or falling out, as may happen with dentures.
  • They very closely resemble natural teeth in function, esthetics, and feel.
  • They let you eat foods you could eat with your natural teeth, unlike dentures which may restrict your ability to chew certain foods.
  • They have an overall success rate of 96%. They have been used for decades and thoroughly researched.
  • They do not affect adjacent healthy teeth, which is the case with conventional bridges.
  • They preserve bone in the site of the missing tooth or teeth because they osseointegrate with the surrounding bone and prevent bone loss.
  • They may last a lifetime if properly cared for.

How do dental implants preserve bone?

The roots of your natural teeth preserve the surrounding bone through function.  When a tooth is missing, the surrounding bone erodes. After a long period of time, other teeth can be lost, and your overall dental health can suffer.

If you are missing many or all of your teeth, your jawbones can deteriorate a great deal, giving you a “sunken” facial appearance. This can make you appear older. Traditional bridges and dentures do not prevent bone loss in the site of the missing tooth or teeth.

Dental implants prevent bone loss because they fuse to the bone in the area of the missing tooth or teeth, maintaining the integrity of the bone around the implant. This provides stability. If you are missing all your teeth, dental implants will protect against erosion of bone and help preserve your natural facial appearance.