Why should you consider having a dental implant?
Dental implants use a screw, abutment and tooth replacement such as a dental crown, bridge or dentures to replace natural tooth roots in areas of the mouth that are missing teeth.
These permanent tooth replacements offer the stability needed to preserve your jawbone and help your natural teeth remain in place so they don't shift to fill the spot where the missing tooth once was.
If your dentist has suggested tooth replacement using a dental implant then you may wonder why. Our Toronto dentists can explain why you might consider a dental implant if you are hoping to replace one or more missing teeth.
1. Dental implants can be used to target bone loss.
If you are missing teeth then you can experience bone loss in the jaw. We can address this with a bone graft before placing the dental implant and tooth replacement. Using a dental implant to replace missing teeth as soon as possible also prevents potential future bone loss, protects your oral and overall health and preserves your facial structure.
2. You may regain your confidence with dental implants.
When teeth are lost due to decay, trauma, dental disease or other causes, the resulting bone loss and loss of facial structure can cause people to feel self-conscious about smiling and socializing with others. But with a dental implant, we can address the sunken facial appearance, and chances of wrinkling and collapse that can happen when teeth are missing. By keeping your jawbone strong and intact, you can help maintain your facial structure.
3. If you are missing teeth then you may suffer from digestive issues.
If you are missing teeth then it is likely that you are unable to chew your food properly. Therefore, you may experience digestive issues. But by replacing missing teeth, we can address this, giving you back your full chewing capability – and leaving you with the ability to enjoy your favourite foods for many years to come.
4. Your dental implant will stay snuggly in place.
With a permanent, custom-made dental implant, you would typically be able to do anything with this tooth replacement that you can do with your natural teeth – including eating hard-to-chew foods such as spare ribs and corn on the cob, coughing, sneezing and smiling. Because implants are securely placed and attached to the jawbone, they should not shift or feel loose. The only reasons this would happen would be infection, dental disease, or potential injury.
5. Dental implants don't require changes to the surrounding teeth.
While bridges and dentures have their place, dentures do require adhesives and bridges require some of your surrounding natural teeth to be ground down so that the bridge can be cemented onto them. While this option may work if the surrounding teeth have been restored with large crowns or fillings, if they are not restored it would be best to leave them alone, since the prepared tooth structure can never be replaced.
Dental implant-supported bridges and crowns do not involve your surrounding natural teeth, which helps to preserve more of the natural structure of those teeth while protecting your oral health at the same time.