When it comes to missing teeth replacement, patients have several options available to them. One, however, stands head and shoulders above the rest – dental implants!
Implant-based restorations offer many key advantages that other forms of tooth replacement like conventional bridges and dentures don’t. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at 7 key dental implant benefits that you need to know.
Lifelike Replacement In Every Way
Despite the fact that modern-day dentures and bridges are upping their game in the aesthetics department, nothing comes close to a dental implant. Not only do dental implant crowns look like natural teeth, but because they remain a permanent fixture in the mouth, they feel and (to a certain extent ) act just like your natural teeth. In fact, once in place, it’s very hard to distinguish the difference.
Looking After Them Is Easy
When fitted with dental bridges or dentures, you should know that there’s a whole caring and cleaning routine that you need to consider. One that involves the ongoing purchases of specialised cleaning tablets, adhesive, flossers and brushes.
With dental implants, however, there’s none of that. Instead, you simply need to brush and floss just like you would your normal teeth.
No Embarrassing Moments
Patients who wear dentures often feel apprehensive about speaking, eating or laughing in public. The reason is that sometimes, dentures can physically shift or move in the mouth. This can cause a great deal of embarrassment for the wearer – usually when they least expect it.
With dental implants, however, you don’t need to feel any trepidation because dental implants are firmly anchored into position and will therefore never move. Instead, you have total peace of mind.
Prevents Bone Loss
When it comes to dental implant benefits, this one is huge! When a person experiences a missing tooth, it kickstarts a whole chain of events, one of which is bone loss. Bone loss occurs because the bone tissue that supported the missing tooth root is no longer needed. As a result, it gets reabsorbed back into the body. To put this into perspective, it’s estimated that as much as 20% of the entire jaw bone is lost within the first 12 months after tooth loss.
Unfortunately, because dentures and bridges are designed to either be supported by other teeth or to sit on the gum line, the bone loss process still continues. This is why dentures, in particular, need replacing so often because they no longer fit the jaw properly. The result is a diminishing jawline, a changing facial shape and in most cases, an older-looking appearance.
Conversely, because dental implants are anchored firmly into the jaw bone at the missing tooth site, they have the ability to restimulate the surrounding bone tissue and therefore prevent it from being reabsorbed back into the body. Ultimately, any further bone loss, a diminished jawline and an ageing appearance are all avoided.
Restores Bite Force
Our natural teeth are indeed pretty strong, allowing us to bite and chew foods with consummate ease. However, when teeth are missing and are replaced by a dental bridge or denture it’s almost impossible to replicate that kind of strength. In fact, on average, a denture will only have somewhere between 25% and 35% of the bite force of a natural tooth. The result is that dentures wearers typically have to adapt or change their diets to take into account softer foods.
On the contrary, a dental implant has somewhere between 85%-95% of the bite force of a natural tooth resulting in the ability to eat pretty much whatever you like – and by default, the ability to eat healthily without worry or fear that your dental implants are going to crack or break. Naturally, when it comes to dental implant benefits, being able to adopt a normal healthy lifestyle is huge.
Permanent, Long-lasting Restoration
We’ve already discussed the fact that bone loss causes the jaw to change shape which, in turn, means that traditional restorations like dental bridges and dentures will need to be replaced often. Typically, every 5-10 years.
Once in position, however, dental implants should never need replacing. While the visible crown part of the implant can be prone to wear and tear (just like any other restoration), the titanium implant itself should, in theory, remain a permanent fixture in your mouth for the rest of your life. So while dental implants may cost more initially, the fact is that you are only ever going to have to pay for them once – unfortunately, the same can’t be said for traditional restorations which do indeed have a limited shelf life.
Enabling Natural Speech
One of the key benefits of a dental implant is that they enable natural speech from day one. With other restorations, particularly dentures, a patient is often unable to annunciate certain words or sounds correctly until their mouth and tongue adapt to the new appliance. This can take several months. Because dental implants are designed to look and feel just like your natural teeth they enable you to speak both naturally from day one with little or no adjustment.
Once you have a good understanding of the many advantages of dental implants over other forms of missing tooth restoration and how they can improve your quality of life, then it’s easy to see how the initial cost may be an expense worth bearing.
If you would like to find out more about key dental implant benefits or whether you are a good candidate for implant placement surgery, come and talk to the team at No Gaps Dental by calling us on (02) 8007 6727. With 15 convenient dental clinics spread throughout the Sydney Metro area, we offer an affordable and convenient way to restore and rejuvenate your smile.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.