If you have ever lived with ill-fitting dentures or have suffered from diseased or weakened teeth you’ll know just how important a firm bite is, but just how strong are dental implants?
The short answer is somewhere between 80% and 90% of your natural teeth, but there’s way more to it than that… let’s take a closer look.
A Firm Bite and why it’s Essential To Quality Of Life
When our natural teeth are healthy we don’t tend to worry too much about our bite and may even take it for granted. However, the old cliché about being able to bite into a crisp green apple does have relevance for some people with missing teeth or in those who wear more conventional restorations because they often feel the need to decline foods that they love, purely because they aren’t able to eat them comfortably.
Then of course there’s the impact a weakened bite can have on maintaining a healthy diet. With increasing emphasis on how the foods we eat, or rather – don’t eat, can impact on our health, the need to adopt a diet based on whole foods and vegetables has never been more prevalent. Yet, conventional methods of teeth replacement like partial or full dentures don’t allow you to do this and here’s why…
Dental Implants vs dentures – The Strength Factor
To understand the strength behind dental implants and why they allow a person to have a considerably better bite than an equivalent denture wearer, we first need to look at how dental implants and indeed, conventional dentures are fitted.
Firstly dentures remain a popular form of missing teeth replacement because they offer a convenient option for replacing lost natural teeth They can be fitted without surgery and with little inconvenience in just two visits. However, because they sit on the gum line, they rely on a combination of suction and/or dental adhesive to keep them in place. As you can imagine, this doesn’t set a precedent for ideal strength and in fact, the average bit force for a denture wearer is less than 30% of someone with healthy natural teeth.
On the contrary, dental implants are anchored into the jawbone at the site of a missing tooth during a comfortable dental implant surgery procedure. That in itself makes implant-based restorations more secure than conventional dentures and by default – stronger, but it’s what happens next that determines how strong dental implants really are and that’s a process known as osseointegration.
Bone Fusion and Why It’s Key
After dental implant surgery, the titanium implant is left to heal. During a period of between 3-6 months, any surrounding bone tissue will fuse with the implanted fixture creating a super-solid foundation upon which to attach a permanent restoration. It’s this vital process known as osseointegration that really gives dental implants their strength. It is also the reason why they can be used to support not just a single dental crown, but also a dental bridge and even an entire arch of dentures.
Dental Implant Strength – What’s The Real Difference And What Might It Mean To You?
Dental implants give you the ability to be able to achieve a firm bite with confidence and can mean the difference between living a full and healthy life versus one with compromise.
When fitted with dental implants, for instance, patients can choose to eat whatever they want without fear or hesitation. Ultimately, it gives them the freedom to adopt a healthy eating lifestyle should they choose to – or to pick their ideal meal at their favourite restaurant because they enjoy it.
On the contrary, many denture wearers or those with weakened or diseased natural teeth feel that they need to compromise on foods that they enjoy in exchange for softer foods which don’t always have the nutritional benefits of certain crunchy or chewy foods like crisp vegetables, nuts, and lean meat. This can lead to vitamin and/or nutrient deficiencies which can, in turn, trigger a whole host of health issues.
But it’s not just about health, having a strong bite is all about confidence too. Many people with a weakened bite tend to find social events or gatherings a hindrance rather than the enjoyable occasions they should be. Some even refrain from attending where possible.
On the contrary, because dental implants are fitted permanently in the mouth after dental implant surgery wearers tend to have the utmost faith in their new teeth with regards to their strength and natural appearance. This can give a person a real boost of confidence allowing them to eat, speak and laugh without worry.
How Strong are Dental Implants? – Titanium vs Zirconia
Another factor that may dictate the strength of dental implants is the material the implant is made from. Two of the most common are titanium and zirconia. Both have similar properties in that they are lightweight and biocompatible and both attract bone adherence. However, while Zirconia is indeed durable, it also has a lower elasticity value than titanium meaning that when placed under forces that may cause bending and flexing, Zirconia implants can be more prone to fracture.
As you can see, once a patient has successfully negotiated dental implant surgery, implant-based restorations have so much going for them in terms of strength and durability. Not only do they restore a firm bite but implants give you a quality of life that other tooth restorations can’t.
If you’d like to find out more about how dental implants can help you, contact the team at (02) 8806 0227 – With 15 locations scattered in and around the Sydney Metropolitan area, we provide convenient, affordable and life-changing dentistry for people of all ages.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.