It’s often said that we don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. That adage certainly applies to our natural teeth. We tend to take them for granted, and then suddenly, we’re confronted with the reality of a missing tooth. Thankfully tooth replacement Rochester NY with Dental Implants & Periodontal Health of Rochester can offer you the care you need.
Benefits of Dental Implants for Missing Teeth
Whether you’ve lost a tooth because of an accidental injury, decay or gum disease, or even a genetic condition, you’ll want to replace it. This is not only for cosmetic reasons. A missing tooth can change your bite – making it difficult to chew – but it can also weaken your jawbone.
You have choices regarding tooth replacement, and the most popular are dental implants, bridges, and dentures. However, dental implants have several advantages over those other options.
You’ll Never Have to Worry About Slippage
With dental implants, you won’t feel self-conscious that your teeth will move out of place when you eat, speak, or laugh – the way many with dentures do. Since dental implants are securely integrated into your jawbone, you can feel more confident when you interact with others.
Maintain Your Bite Force
Since dental implants are integrated into your jawbone, you’ll be able to bite the same way you did with your natural tooth in place. That means you won’t struggle to eat many of the foods you enjoyed before you lost your tooth.
Your Speech Will Sound More Natural
Dentures change the anatomy of your mouth, and the way air moves through them. Your ability to communicate will be compromised because you can hear the odd vibrations that occur because of this airflow. You’ll need to learn to overcome that and also practice speaking so that you don’t make clicking noises when you talk. Dental implants feel and act like natural teeth, so they won’t interfere with your ability to speak and be understood.
Implants Help Prevent Bone Loss
Your teeth – through chewing and biting – stimulate your jawbone and help prevent bone absorption or loss. So, when you lose a tooth, you must replace it in a way that will keep the jaw bone stimulated. Implants are the only kind of tooth replacement that stimulates the jaw. Their secure placement enables you to exert force and maintain the pressure that your jawbone requires. When you lose bone in your jaw, you can start having a sunken look to your face that can make you look older.
Implants Support Adjacent Teeth and Prevent Changes in Your Face Shape
Your teeth support your facial structure, so when you lose a tooth, the adjacent teeth can shift and cause misalignment. Implants provide support much better than other tooth replacement options since they are similar to your natural teeth, and they can prevent your face from changing shape. As mentioned above, face shape changes due to loss of support can make you look older.
Implants are a Long-Term Solution to Tooth Loss
A standard dental bridge will last for only 5-7 years – up to ten years if you take excellent care of it. A similar timeline exists for dentures. Both standard bridges and dentures do not stimulate the jawbone, so bone loss or deterioration may necessitate their replacement. Additionally, it’s difficult to floss fixed bridges, and they become susceptible to decay.
Implants, however, can last upwards of 25 years and perhaps even a lifetime. The reason why implants may fail is mostly due to poor oral hygiene or pre-existing medical conditions.
Seek Help from Tooth Replacement Rochester NY
Dental implants are the superior solution for a missing tooth. No alternative can compare to tooth implants when it comes to preserving bone, maintaining the type of lifestyle you were accustomed to before losing the tooth, and keeping your natural smile. With proper hygiene and regular doctor visits, implants can last a lifetime.
The team at Dental Implants & Periodontal Health of Rochester has extensive knowledge and experience placing implants for a single tooth or multiple teeth replacement and for securing bridges and dentures. Read more about our dental implant options here, and then contact our office for a personal consultation. 585-685-2005
