If you are looking for replacement options for one or more of your teeth, dental implants are probably an option that you have considered. Dental implants are the most advanced form of tooth replacement available today. Here are four of the biggest advantages of dental implants.
Eat Anything You Want
Traditional dentures are made of plastic that can be damaged by foods that are hard or sticky. Because of this, you always have to be careful about what you eat to avoid denture cracking and chipping that would require costly repairs.
Watching what you eat to protect your tooth replacement can be a thing of the past if you choose to use dental implants. The crowns of dental implants are typically made from porcelain. They are much harder to break than dentures, rivaling natural teeth in their durability This means you can eat popcorn, raw apples, and anything else that you would normally eat, without having to worry about damaging the implant.
Slowed Jaw Bone Deterioration
When you lose a tooth, the jawbone that was beneath the tooth with gradually deteriorate over time. This is because there is no root in the empty socket to stimulate the surrounding bone when you chew. No longer serving its purpose of supporting a healthy tooth, the bone around the socket will be resorbed by the body. As this resorption progresses, it can deteriorate the bone so much that adjacent teeth begin to loosen and fall out as well.
Dental implants are excellent for preventing serious jaw bone resorption. This is because they fuse with the bone through a process called osseointegration after they are installed. Through osseointegration, the implant is in direct contact with the bone, with no soft tissue in between. In addition to anchoring the implant in place, this process allows the implant to stimulate the surrounding bone in the same way that your natural tooth did.
Easy Maintenance
If you have been using dentures, you are undoubtedly very familiar with the routine of cleaning and soaking them. While some people enjoy the ability to remove dentures at night for their comfort, many find the requirement to soak them every night a bit tedious.
Caring for dental implants is much more natural than cleaning and soaking dentures, as the process is identical to caring for your real teeth. As long as you brush and floss each day and visit your dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings, your implants will stay as pearly white as they were the day you got them.
Comfort
Unless you pay a premium for the highest-quality dentures available, you are likely to find that your dentures do not fit perfectly. Improperly fitting dentures can cause a lot of discomfort by scraping against your cheeks or the inside of your lip. These scrapes can sometimes cause an infection known as denture-related stomatitis. Even if your dentures fit perfectly when you get them, they are likely to warp over time due to the effects of heat and drying out.
The problem of cheek and lip abrasions is eliminated entirely with dental implants. Before your implant surgery, a CT scan will be used to create a 3D model of your jawbone and the planned implant. The surgeon will refer to this model to install the implant correctly and fabricate a dental crown that fits between the adjacent teeth perfectly.
Dental implants are a comfortable, convenient, and natural-looking option for replacing missing teeth. If you are still unsure whether implants are the best tooth replacement option for you, talk with your dentist so that he can further inform you about the benefits of dental implants.
You can also visit http://bruceparkerdmd.com/ for more information.
