If you are missing teeth or are dealing with tooth decay, chances are that you are familiar with some of the options available to you for replacing those teeth. However, dental implants offer advantages that alternatives like dentures and partials can’t. Among the benefits of dental implants are…

1. Convenience

Dentures and partials limit the types of food you can eat. They require the use of special adhesives and must be properly maintained with cleaning solution or floss threader.

Dental implants offer tooth function that is almost identical to that of natural teeth. The strong connection between surgically-implanted tooth roots and natural-looking tooth caps means that patients face fewer restrictions and require no maintenance beyond normal oral care.

2. Aesthetics

Over time, the area around a missing tooth can begin to lose bone in a process called “resorption.” This can make a person’s face look collapsed in that area even when they have their mouth closed. Dentures and partials can’t do anything to prevent this process.

Dental implants, however, can help you avoid bone resorption. When a dentist implants the new tooth root in the area of the missing tooth, that implant replicates the function of a natural tooth root, helping to preserve bone.

3. Comfort

Dental implants look and feel like natural teeth. Patients who have the procedure are able to chew, bite, and talk as though they have restored their original set of teeth.

Alternatively, those who rely on dentures and partials sometimes experience problems in chewing and biting. Some patients also find that the devices disrupt speech, further limiting their comfort.

4. Independence

Partial dentures may cause greater wear on the adjacent teeth to which they connect. Using a tooth-supported bridge means grinding down the adjacent teeth so that the bridge can be cemented in place—an irreversible process.

Dental implants work differently. The surgeon creates a strong foundation with new, independent tooth roots. These cause no additional wear or weakening in existing teeth.

5. Durability

Dental implants have a much better prognosis than other options, such as tooth-supported bridges. The ADA quotes a 10 year average life span for the bridge, while documented clinical studies show a 95% and higher success rate for 20-to-50 years for implants.

To learn more about dental implants, schedule an appointment with the oral surgery team at Lytle, Tate and Stamper. Call or email today.

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