Once you have lost a tooth, you would not want your teeth to be in any more trouble. Installing a replacement tooth in the gap is necessary for good overall dental health. This situation can be dealt with by using dentures or dental bridges; but they do not provide a lifelong solution to the problem.
On the other hand, dental implants not only offer a permanent solution to tooth loss, but are also preferred by periodontists as they protect natural teeth. With a success rate of over 90 percent, dental implants are quite popular among people of all ages. They can be suggested to anyone over 18 years of age who is suffering from tooth loss because of decay, disease, or even injury. Additionally, implants are one of the best solutions for people who can no longer wear dentures.
Here are five permanent benefits of dental implants:
1. Beneficial for Adjacent Teeth
Among the key benefits of getting dental implants is the fact that there is no need to alter the adjacent teeth to connect the artificial tooth. In fact, the implant protects the healthy tooth tissue and bone from further damage. It also ensures that bone resorption and deterioration are under control, and helps to preserve the jawbone’s mass.
Implants also take the stress off your natural teeth by offering independent support and eliminating the pain of bridgework and over dentures. With a new tooth instead of an empty space, the healthy adjacent teeth will no longer try to shift to this space, and the alignment will, therefore, remain intact.
2. Implants Will Bring Back Confidence
Because of their close resemblance to natural teeth, dental implants blend in with the natural appearance of your mouth. The implants fuse with the bone underneath during the osseointegration process and become permanent.
Along with boosting your confidence, they are helpful in retaining your speaking pattern and eating habits. Unlike dentures, implants allow you to speak without worrying about slipping up and causing embarrassment. The process locks the artificial teeth in the gap, thereby putting to rest your fears of dentures falling out.
Patients using dentures often complain that their dentures slide away and make it difficult for them to bite into or chew food. Dental implants, however, never move from their position as they are permanently placed in the tooth gap, and help you eat your favorite food without any problems.
3. No Hassle with Cavities
Apart from supporting the adjacent teeth, implants help boost your oral health as they cannot be attacked by cavities. This makes dental implants extremely reliable as they can last a lifetime when properly placed by experts.
Ensure that you visit your local dentist regularly to maintain good oral hygiene. For example, those living in the Hudson Valley will find it easier to contact a Westchester dentist for guidance on keeping their implants healthy. Proper care after the procedure will reduce the frequency of the trips to your dentist. However, you may need periodic adjustments to keep the implants properly aligned.
Before planning a dental implant, it is important to check whether or not there is enough bone in your jaw to support the implant. If your bone is deficient, your dentist can suggest effective ways to get it corrected.
4. Treat Them Like Natural Teeth
Dental implants are not only designed to look like natural teeth, but need to be maintained just like them. You need to take proper care in the initial stages to ensure that they remain in good condition. Once your implants are placed and aligned, your periodontist will help you with an aftercare plan to keep them clean and plaque-free.
Although implants cannot fall prey to cavities, they can be affected by gum disease, and inflammation of the gums around your implants is quite common. This condition, known as peri-implantitis, needs special attention from your dentist and advanced cleaning techniques are required to control the infection.
5. Implants Prevent Bone Loss
Frequent tooth loss leads to empty spaces in your mouth that leaves you prone to other dental issues. Toothless jawbones are likely to lose their strength and firmness gradually. When implants are placed in the gaps, they help restore the natural ability of the jawbones to hold a tooth. In the long term, they aid bone generation and prevent bone loss.
As dental implant treatments have become a viable option for most of us, they have transformed the way we approach tooth loss in current times. Earlier, patients facing this situation were advised to opt for either extensive bridgework or dentures, which led to major discomfort and demanded intensive care post installation. But placing an artificial tooth permanently resolves this problem for most patients. They can enjoy strong and natural looking teeth along with a healthy lifestyle.