In a perfect world, our teeth would remain strong and healthy for as long as we live. After all, that is why we are born with only one, permanent set; the moment you lose your baby teeth is the moment routine oral hygiene goes from important to crucial.
However, it would be naïve to assume that everyone takes care of their mouths as well as they should. Everything from poor dental genetics to bad habits (unhealthy food choices and smoking, for example) to improper and irregular oral care contributes to premature tooth decay. The enamel on our teeth is only so strong, and it is highly susceptible to the damaging effects of plaque.
What are Dental Implants?
Luckily, early tooth loss need not leave us with unsightly and unhealthy gaps in our mouths as dental implants are a viable tooth replacement option for nearly every patient. These small, synthetic roots can take the place of natural teeth more successfully than nearly any alternative. Here is why you should have one inserted in the event that tooth loss does occur:
Dental Implants look as Real as your Natural Teeth
No manmade product will ever be able to fully replace the function and appearance of natural teeth, but dentists have definitely come a long way in bridging the gap. To an untrained eye, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference between an implant and a natural tooth.
Implants allow you to Eat and Speak Normally
Modern implants are the closest thing you can get to the real deal, and this is important for multiple reasons. For starters, they allow us to eat and speak normally. This is, after all, why we have teeth in the first place, so it only makes sense to get an implant that will restore proper function.
Implants Prevent the Consequences of Missing Teeth
Living with a gap in your mouth may save you a little bit of money in the short term, but it will inevitably be the cause of much discomfort and annoyance in the long run. Did you know that missing teeth lead to additional strain and wear of your remaining teeth? The space left behind by a missing tooth will also lead to drifting and shifting of your remaining teeth. In this sense, an implant is not really an investment, but rather a necessity.
Implants cannot decay
Fixed bridges are a traditional therapy to replace missing teeth. But without meticulous oral hygiene and control of sugar intake a fixed bridge could fail due to dental decay of the adjoining teeth. Dental implants are made out of titanium and porcelain and are thus not at risk of dental decay.
Implants protect your Jaw Bone
The often abused cliché ‘use it or lose it’ is a very apt description of what happens to your jaw bone when you lose a tooth. Without the stimulation from the roots of the missing tooth, the residual jaw bone can start to shrink. A dental implant can preserve the remaining jaw bone by replacing the stimulation formerly provided by the roots of the missing tooth.