If you’ve been thinking about dental implants, then you’ve probably experienced some tooth loss and are looking for alternatives to dentures or bridges. The thought of dentures may fill you with dread — and who wouldn’t be worried about being able to eat your favorite foods, socialize, and smile like you want to?
Implants are one of the most significant advances in dentistry over the last 40 years and are increasingly becoming a popular choice for people of all ages who want a long-lasting and effective solution for their dental issues. Implants prevent many of the problems that conventional dentures and bridges can create.
Dental implants are surgically placed for permanent results
Usually made from titanium, dental implants are posts that are surgically placed into your jawbone and to which one or more false teeth are then attached. That means you don’t have to have one implant per missing tooth. The actual number you might need depends on how many teeth you want to replace and other factors like the condition of your jaw, remaining teeth, and any other conditions you may be suffering from.
Implants are a natural-feeling solution for tooth loss
Dentures can feel unnatural and uncomfortable and irritate your gums — not to mention the difficulty you could have eating and the embarrassing slippage that can happen at the worst of times.
Dental implants are designed to look, feel, and function like natural teeth. As they are secured directly to the jawbone, implants can’t slip out of place. You can eat what you like, and there’s none of that painful irritation to your gums. Dental implants can support a crown, a bridge, or a denture.
Implants can be used in conjunction with dentures
Implant-supported dentures are a more stable solution in which special dentures are attached to the surgically fitted implants. They provide more support than regular dentures and solve some of the problems with eating and the irritation you might otherwise experience. Regular dentures fit on the gums, which causes much of the irritation, but an implant-supported denture fits over the gums with an acrylic base that looks like your natural gum line.
Implants are placed in key positions in your jaw, where they’re used as anchor points to secure the dentures in place during the day to prevent any issues, but they still need to be removed at night and thoroughly cleaned before and after wearing.
Getting implants is a long process but undoubtedly worth it. They can easily last as long as your natural teeth when you are properly fit for them. To have your dental implants fitted at Straight Teeth Orthodontics, you need to pay three visits after your initial consultation.
The first visit involves placing the post into your jaw. During the second visit, Scott Evans, DDS, fits an abutment, which is used to screw the false tooth, bridge, or denture on to the post, and during the third visit, Dr. Evans fits those new false teeth in place.
Implants are better for your overall dental health
Implants not only feel better than dentures or bridges, but they can actually improve your dental health by stimulating the replacement of jawbone tissue. When you lose a tooth, atrophy can occur, leading to additional tooth loss in the adjacent teeth.
By encouraging new tissue growth, implants strengthen your jawbone and prevent further damage. Bridges and dentures can’t prevent further tooth damage and loss because they sit on the gum line rather than in the jaw.
To find out more about dental implants and how they can help you enjoy your smile again, make an appointment today with Scott Evans, DDS, at Straight Teeth Orthodontics in Dallas, Texas.
