Dr. Benjamin Stevens offers full services for dental implant-supported restorations in his Greenwood, IN family dentist office. The benefits of Dental implants far exceed those offered by other teeth replacement options.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
Prevent Bone Loss
When a tooth goes missing, the underlying bone will begin to atrophy. A dental implant is the only solution to replace a missing tooth root. It will provide the bone with enough stimulation to prevent the jaw bone from deteriorating. The tooth root works by providing stimulation to the bone whenever you chew or bite. With dental implants, you will not need to worry about your facial features changing or wrinkles forming due to bone loss in the jaw.
Bone loss also makes the fit of your other restorations change over time. The other restorations don’t replace the tooth root so they don’t provide the stimulation that your jawbone needs. Because the jawbone continues to deteriorate, your restoration starts to fit differently and it might not function properly. You may need to get the restoration adjusted or completely replaced multiple times. With dental implants, you never have that worry.
Comfortable
A dental restoration is secured to dental implants firmly implanted into the bone, creating a more comfortable fit. This essentially simulates how natural teeth are held in place. Dental implants are the only teeth replacement solution that mimics the fit of real teeth! They are not bulky in the mouth, nor do they take months to get used to like dentures. Implants don’t require metal clasps that attach to remaining healthy teeth like partial dentures. They do not attach to neighboring teeth causing unnecessary damage to healthy teeth to replace 1-2 teeth.
Easier to speak
Dentures have a bad reputation for slipping around in the mouth. This is notorious for causing slurred speech and can become a great embarrassment. Simply leaving the gaps between your teeth makes making certain sounds difficult. Your best bet to avoid talking funny is to replace your teeth with dental implants. There is zero risk of the restoration slipping around in your mouth, and your words will sound completely normal.
Allow you to eat a variety of foods
Dental implants root firmly into the jaw bone, allowing a greater chewing force. This will allow you to chew and consume a greater variety of food. Missing teeth or teeth replaced with dentures will make it very difficult to chew foods that are not soft. Dentures alone come with many food restrictions, including eliminating chewy, tough, or crunchy foods from your diet.
Better for your oral health
Dental implants are better for oral health because they do not impact other teeth. This replacement method holds teeth in place the same way natural teeth are, by being anchored in the bone. The adjacent teeth are ground down with fixed dental bridges to support the fixture. Then they have to endure the extra pressure. Partial dentures also use healthy, remaining teeth to hold them in place. These otherwise healthy teeth will become weakened to replace other teeth.
Because they replace the tooth root, implants help to keep the adjacent teeth in their proper positions. When you lose a tooth, the teeth around it start to shift so that they can fill in the gap left by the missing tooth. If you’ve had orthodontic work to straighten your teeth, this impacts the result. Shifting teeth also lead to an uneven bite. When you have an uneven bite, some teeth take on more pressure than others and are more likely to break. Uneven bites also make you more likely to develop TMJ disorders.
Very durable
No other tooth replacement solution is as durable as dental implants. Since the implant post will become one with the surrounding jaw bone, it can withstand daily wear and tear. While the restoration will need replacing, they will last much longer than traditional bridges and dentures. If cared for properly, implants will last a lifetime.
Fewer maintenance needs
Dentures often need adhesive to successfully stay in your mouth. This can get extremely messy and may not always be successful. When you’re taking out your dentures at night, you have a thorough cleaning routine that you have to take care of. Special denture-cleaning brushes are designed to get the adhesive off properly. You have to regularly soak your dentures too. This ensures that they stay cleaned and sterilized properly.
You don’t need to worry about any of these things with dental implants. You can take care of them just like you would your normal teeth. Brush at least twice a day, floss at least once a day, and visit the dentist regularly. The only requirement is to use a soft toothbrush and toothpaste that isn’t really abrasive. We don’t want to risk you scratching or damaging the restoration that completes your dental implants.
Have a high success rate
Dentists have used dental implants for years. However, thanks to advances in dentistry, they have only improved. Placing implants is now a routine procedure. They yield a 95% success rate and have improved many people’s lives.
If you are ready to start your dental implant journey, contact Beautiful Smiles in Greenwood, IN, to schedule a consultation with Dr. Stevens. He is currently accepting new patients interested in replacing their teeth with an implant-supported restoration.