4 Reasons You Need to Consider Dental Implants for Your Missing Teeth

Missing teeth can affect your self-esteem as well as make it difficult to eat and speak. If you have missing teeth, you may be considering replacement options. However, if you haven’t considered dental implants, you should. Check out these four reasons dental implants can be an excellent option to replace your missing teeth.

Implants Are the Most Durable Replacement Option

Implants are incredibly durable. In fact, they are almost as strong as your natural teeth. Natural teeth are held in your jaw with strong ligaments. Titanium dental implants are held in your jaw via a process known as osseointegration. During this process, the bone grows around the threads and surface coating of the implant. As a result, the dental implant can function like a natural tooth. Neither dentures nor dental bridges can match this hold because dentures simply sit on the top of your gums, and dental bridges use other teeth as anchors instead of the jawbone.

They Don’t Harm Existing Healthy Teeth

Another advantage of dental implants is that they don’t affect any of your existing healthy teeth. Patients who have partial dentures may experience some problems as the metal or plastic from the partial denture rubs or hits healthy teeth. This can scratch enamel or cause chips. Dental bridges rely on surrounding teeth to act as anchors. However, for the bridge to fit properly, the surrounding teeth must be filed down. This process is irreversible, and these teeth will always need crowns to protect them. Implants only interact with your existing teeth as much as natural teeth do.

Dental Implants Can’t Decay

If you are prone to tooth decay, there’s good news. Implants can’t decay. On the other hand, you may experience some decay with a dental bridge. If you fail to properly keep your gum line or under the bridge clean, which requires special floss, bacteria can cause decay at the gum line. Implants, however, aren’t immune to other problems. You still need to take good care of the implant or you may develop gum disease around the implant. This can cause the implant to fail. If you do take good care of your dental implant, however, it may last you the rest of your life.

Implants Can Be Used to Replace One or Several Missing Teeth

Implants are a great option no matter how many missing teeth you have. If you have one or two, a single dental implant is perfect. It simply slips right in between your healthy teeth. If you have a few teeth in a row missing, an implant-supported bridge may be a better option. An implant-supported bridge is much like a normal bridge, but it uses implants to support the bridge instead of teeth. If all of your teeth are missing, you can even get implant-supported dentures. Implant-supported dentures can be either removable or fixed and they snap into place, so they won’t move or slip when you talk and eat.

You don’t have to live with missing teeth or a smile you don’t love. There are many options to replace missing teeth, and dental implants are a durable, excellent option. For your information about dental implants, contact Landmark Dental Group in Santa Cruz today.