If your smile is missing one or more teeth, then your confidence in smiling might have suffered from the loss. Yet, your teeth do more than fill out a beautiful smile; they also process your food, help stimulate your facial structures, and more. When one is lost, your bite loses some of its ability to perform its duties, meaning it can become more difficult to bite, chew, and enunciate your words clearly. The most effective tooth replacements – dental implants – are able to not only restore your smile’s appearance, but also re-establish as much of your bite’s vital functions as possible.
Benefits of Dental Implants
They can last forever
Dental implant posts are surgically-inserted into your jawbone, and are placed strategically to offer the highest level of support for your dental crown, partial, or complete denture. Implants are made from biocompatible titanium, which your jawbone will fuse to as it heals, and with proper care and maintenance, the implant posts can last for life. If your appliance becomes worn, it may need replacement, but the posts will remain to support your new prosthesis, as well.
They help stop facial collapse
Implant posts mimic your teeth roots in several ways; they support your replacement teeth without relying on surrounding structures, and they provide stimulation to your jawbone every time you bite and chew. This stimulation promotes a healthy flow of nutrient-rich blood to your jawbone and helps prevent jawbone deterioration, which causes surrounding facial structures to sag (a phenomenon known as facial collapse).
They can help prevent future tooth loss
Besides the physical appearance of facial collapse, jawbone deterioration following the loss of your teeth roots can increase your risks of tooth loss in the future. As the jawbone loses density, it also loses its ability to retain all of your remaining teeth securely, and if not addressed, jawbone deterioration will lead to more missing teeth. Stimulation through dental implants helps maintain your jawbone’s integrity, and because they mimic the design of natural teeth, implant restorations are simple to keep clean with good hygiene and dental care.
