The Benefits of Dental Implants

It’s estimated that 178 million Americans are missing at least one permanent tooth and 30 percent of adults 65 and older don’t have any natural teeth left. Periodontal disease, oral trauma, and systemic conditions can all cause people to lose their natural teeth. If you’re one of the millions of people suffering from tooth loss, dental implants might be the solution for you. Dental implants provide patients of all ages with a multitude of important benefits.

 

Function Like Natural Teeth

Unlike dentures that sit on top of the gums, dental implants fuse with the jawbone and feel and act like natural teeth. The implant functions like the tooth’s root and the crown that is attached is customized to match the existing teeth. If you choose implants to replace any missing teeth, people will assume you have all your natural teeth, and you’ll feel like it, as well.

 

Maintain Bite Strength

Some dental restorations can actually weaken bite strength. Fortunately, implants provide the same bite strength that you have with your natural teeth, meaning you can still eat your favorite foods without fear.

 

Prevent Bone Loss

Natural teeth stimulate the jawbone when you chew. This stimulation to the jawbone causes it to grow and rebuild as needed to support your teeth. When a tooth is lost, the jawbone is no longer stimulated, which causes bone loss. Eventually, this will change your facial structure, causing you to look older. While dentures do not stimulate the jawbone, implants do. Once the implants fuse with the bone, they stimulate it the same way that natural teeth do, so you won’t have to worry about bone loss.

 

Prevent Teeth from Shifting

When you lose a natural tooth, your other teeth shift to fill in the gap. This can cause your bite to go out of alignment and make it difficult to eat. Even talking can become troublesome when you have a bite issue. Fortunately, dental implants can fill the gap without disrupting the teeth around it and you’ll maintain your bite.

 

Long-Lasting

Many people keep the same implants for a lifetime. If you take care of your implants properly, it’s unlikely you’ll need to replace them.

 

Maintain the Structure of Your Other Teeth

Another route to replace a missing tooth is a dental bridge. This method, however, damages the surrounding teeth since when a dental bridge is placed, your dentist will need to grind down the surrounding teeth to support it. This is not necessary with dental implants which means that your surrounding teeth won’t be impacted when the implants are placed.

 

High Success Rate

It’s estimated that dental implants have a 98 percent success rate. Your dentist will provide instructions to help you avoid implant failure so that you too can be one of the 98 percent of people who enjoy the benefits of implants.

 

Reduce the Risk of Gum Disease

When you don’t replace a missing tooth, food and bacteria can fill the gap left behind. Failing to clean out the food and bacteria can lead to gum disease, which can cause additional tooth loss. Dental implants fill the gap, so food and bacteria don’t get trapped. Following a proper oral hygiene routine should help you to avoid developing gum disease.

 

If you are interested in dental implants, call today to schedule a consultation with Clarity Dental Center in Federal Way, Washington. Our expert dental team will examine you to see if you’re a good candidate for this dental restoration.