Did you know that people once tried to replace missing teeth with bamboo pegs, 4,000 years ago? That may have been better than nothing at the time, but today, we’re fortunate to have even better options! But with several different choices like dental implants, bridges, and dentures, how can you know which one is best? In this blog, you’ll find out why dental implants are the closest thing to your own teeth and how they offer 6 important advantages to consider. Learn more below!
1. Dental Implants Don’t Affect Healthy Teeth
A dental bridge requires putting two crowns on the healthy teeth on either side of a missing tooth to provide support, which permanently alters them. With dental implants, the adjacent teeth aren’t affected at all.
2. Implants Are Considered Permanent
Unlike a bridge, which lasts an average of 5-15 years, and traditional dentures, which generally need to be replaced every 5-8 years, dental implants are the only replacement option that’s considered permanent.
With good oral hygiene habits and regular checkups with an implant dentist, they can last 30 years or more. This means they’re not only a great long-term investment but also save you time in the dental chair as well.
3. Implants Look and Feel Very Natural
Dentures become loose and ill-fitting over time and begin to shift around. Implants function just like the roots of natural teeth, so they’ll remain stable and secure, just like your own teeth.
And since the prosthetic teeth attached to your implants are carefully matched to the shape and color of your existing teeth, your smile will look natural as well.
4. Your Facial Structure Is Better Maintained
When a tooth is lost, the body begins to absorb the jawbone that once surrounded the root. Over time, this gives the face an aged appearance. Dental implants prevent bone loss by mimicking natural teeth and stimulating the jaw, which preserves a more youthful facial shape and structure.
5. Dental Implants Give You More Confidence
With implants, you won’t have to worry about embarrassing slips during meals or conversations the way you do with dentures.
6. It’s Easier To Eat Your Favorite Foods
Steak, bread, and nuts are just a few examples of hard, tough or crunchy foods that are difficult to eat with dentures. Dental implants restore most of your natural chewing strength so you can enjoy your favorite foods without worry.
Dental implants provide important benefits that you simply can’t get from traditional bridges and dentures. Simply put, there’s nothing that comes closer to your own teeth!
About the Author
Dr. Robert Long is a general and implant dentist with more than 25 years of experience. He understands the impact that missing teeth have on his patients’ lives and often recommends dental implants because of the many advantages they offer. If you’d like to know more about dental implants or have any other questions, he can be contacted via his website.