Why Dental Implants Are Your Best Option for Replacing Missing Teeth
Dentists usually extract teeth for one of two reasons: extensive decay or bone loss resulting from periodontal disease. Nearly half of our adult population struggles with periodontal disease, so it’s not surprising that almost 178 million Americans miss at least one tooth. Additionally, about 40 million have no natural teeth at all, indicating a significant amount of tooth loss.
In the past, options for replacement were limited to full or partial dentures or bridges. While these options are still available, dental implants often provide the best solution for replacing missing teeth. Dentists can use implants to replace one or multiple teeth, and sometimes they anchor dentures or form part of a bridge unit. Here are our Top 5 reasons why dental implants are your best option!
Improved Quality of Life – Choose Dental Implants
Most patients with dentures are rarely happy with them, finding them difficult to adapt to after having natural teeth. When dentists extract a tooth, the bone in that area deteriorates over time. This deterioration contributes to poor-fitting dentures that often slide around or click. Patients usually use a daily adhesive to temporarily remedy the shifting.
Implant placement can minimize or even eliminate the drawbacks of replacing missing teeth with dentures. Dentists design implants to help patients speak and chew food normally after tooth loss. Implants maintain bone health and integrity, preventing facial collapse and protecting surrounding teeth. Overall, implant placement offers great long-term benefits.
Built to Last
Most restorations, including dentures, don’t last forever. Patients with dentures need frequent adjustments to the fit as bone levels decrease. Bridges can last 5-10 years, but an implant can last a lifetime. When dentists place implants properly, their success rate is nearly 98%! That’s about as close as you can get to a guarantee in the medical field. Implants have been around longer than most people realize, with a 30-year survival rate of over 90%.
Preserve Remaining Teeth
As discussed earlier, placing an implant maintains bone integrity and density, creating a low impact on surrounding teeth. The same cannot be said for bridges or partial dentures. Bridges use two teeth to fill a missing space.
If anything happens to either of those two natural teeth, the entire bridge becomes unusable. Partial dentures use remaining teeth for support, which can cause gingival issues and place excessive force on natural teeth. An implant supports itself without adding stress to surrounding natural teeth.
Natural Looks
Implants look similar to crowns, and when dentists place them properly, both are indistinguishable from your other natural teeth. Once your dentist places a crown and completes your implant, you won’t even think about it being different from your other teeth. It will look natural to you and others and will feel as comfortable as having your own tooth back.
Choose Dental Implants – No Decay
Because implants are titanium, they resist decay. If you care for them properly, you will never have to worry about the implant needing future treatment. Maintaining optimal home care habits is a must because implants can still suffer from peri-implantitis; think of this as the implant version of periodontal disease.
Regular flossing will be a bit different due to the contour of the implant, but your dentist will discuss this with you after completing treatment. If you’re using a water flosser, this is not an issue.
Dr. Cramer has placed many implants over his career and considers them the best options for replacing missing teeth. Your existing bone structure and available space determine whether you are a candidate for implants. At Cramer Dentistry, we use a Cone Beam Scan to view the exact bone level and accurately plan for implant placement.
These measurements help determine if implants are right for you. If you’re interested in replacing missing teeth, ask your hygienist and doctor about it at your next visit, or call us to schedule an appointment!
References:
American College of Prosthodontists