Living with missing teeth can be unpleasant. You may not only be self-conscious about the gaps in your smile but it might even impede your ability to chew properly. People with missing teeth are often forced to eat softer foods which may not be as nutritious. If you are missing teeth due to injury, tooth decay or gum disease, dental implants may be a good option for you.
Implants are the preferred way among dentists and patients to replace missing teeth for adults and they can also be a viable option for adolescents — once facial growth and development has been completed.
4 Reasons to Get Dental Implants
Dental implants offer many advantages over other, more traditional tooth replacement alternatives such as dentures and bridges. Here are four such advantages that AH Smiles of Arlington Heights, IL wants to make you aware of.
1. Dental Implants Function Like Natural Teeth
Dental implants are designed to feel, look, fit and function as if they were your healthy, natural teeth. Once the implant site has fully healed, you might even forget you have them because they’re so comfortable. Implants are permanently attached so you will brush and floss them just like you would your natural teeth with no need to remove them for cleaning like dentures. Implants can also help you retain your natural face shape and smile by preventing mouth regression and teeth moving..
2. Dental Implants Last A Lifetime
Dental implants are made of titanium, a material that bonds with your jawbone and is resistant to decay so that your implant, if properly cared for can last many decades, possibly even the rest of your life. Many other traditional tooth-replacement options such as dental bridges and dentures, may need to be replaced as often as every 5 to 10 years.
Although implants will cost you more at the start, you’ll spend less time in the dentist’s chair and may pay less out-of-pocket since implants don’t normally need replacing.
3. Implants Are Secure In Your Mouth
Your dental implant will begin with a titanium screw inserted directly into your jaw bone onto which a crown is mounted. This means that they never need to be removed for cleaning or maintenance so you will never need to worry about slipping or clicking as can happen with dentures. With implants you’ll find that your speech is more natural and that you’ll be able to smile, talk, laugh and eat with confidence.
4. Implants Help Preserve and Protect Your Jawbone
Implants promote a healthy smile. Allowing empty spaces to remain in your mouth after losing one or more teeth can lead to the deterioration of jawbone tissue, drifting teeth and eventually mouth regression — that shrunken mouth that many long-time denture wearers have. Dental implants stimulate new bone growth and prevent further bone loss unlike dentures and bridges.
Having dental implants installed shortly after losing a tooth will help prevent bone loss at the site and help your smile remain heathy and stable. Also, dental bridges require the adjacent teeth to be ground down for the bridge to be attached while dental implants only involve the socket of the missing tooth.
Dental Implants in Arlington Heights, IL
If you have lost teeth for any reason and are interested in finding out if dental implants can help restore your teeth, AH Smiles of Arlington Heights are ready to help. Please call us at (847) 230-9703 or schedule a consultation online today!