Teeth require extraction usually for one of two reasons. Either due to extensive decay or due to bone loss resulting from periodontal disease. Considering nearly half of our adult population struggles with periodontal disease, it is unsurprising that nearly 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth.
Combine this with the fact that about 40 million individuals have no natural teeth at all and that is a significant amount of tooth loss. It used to be that if you were missing teeth your only option for replacement was a full or partial denture or a bridge. That is no longer the case.
Dental implants are sometimes the best option for replacing single or multiple missing teeth. Implants can also be used to anchor a denture. or We’re sharing our top 5 reasons dental implants are your best option!
Improved Quality of Life
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ll just get all my teeth pulled and have dentures instead”? Dentures are not all they’re cracked up to be and usually don’t fit well. Most people who get dentures are rarely happy with them. They are very difficult to fit well and often slide around or click. Or you have to use an adhesive every day to keep them in place.
Dentures are a difficult change to adapt to when you’re used to natural teeth. Implants maintain bone health and integrity. When a tooth is extracted, over time the bone in that area will deteriorate. By placing an implant in its place you are able to maintain the bone, which is great for the surrounding teeth as well as aiding in preventing facial collapse.
As you can imagine when bone or teeth are lost it becomes more difficult to speak naturally and to chew food. Implants prevent this from ever being an issue.
Built to Last
Most restorations and even dentures aren’t made to last forever. Dentures will need to be adjusted or replaced as your bone dwindles, which is caused by not having teeth in the bone, as teeth get extracted your bone shrinks and continues to shrink.
A bridge can last 5-10 years and cause further bone loss, but an implant can last a lifetime. If properly placed the success of implants is near 98%, that’s about as close as you can get to a guarantee in the medical field. Implants have been around much longer than most people realize, and the 30 year survival rate is over 90%.
Preserve Remaining Teeth
As we discussed earlier placing an implant maintains bone integrity and density, having a low impact on the surrounding teeth. This cannot be said for bridges or partial dentures. A bridge uses two teeth to fill a missing space. If anything happens to either of the natural teeth, the entire bridge has to be taken out.
A partial denture uses remaining teeth for support, which can cause gingival issues and places undue force on the natural teeth. An implant actually supports itself without adding stress to surrounding teeth and with the added benefit that you cannot get a cavity on an implant, implants are becoming the standard of care.
Natural Looks
When done properly, an implant is not distinguishable from other teeth. It may look similar to a crown, but most people won’t even realize that. It will look natural to others and feel natural to you. Once a crown is placed and your implant is complete, you won’t even think about it being different from your other teeth. It will feel as comfortable as having your own tooth back.
No Decay
Because implants are titanium they are resistant to decay. This means once an implant is placed, if cared for properly, you will never have to worry about it needing future treatment. Implants can however still suffer from peri-implantitis (the implant version of periodontal disease), so it is important to maintain optimal home care habits. If using regular floss, they need to be treated just a bit differently due to their contour, but this will be discussed with your dentist after the implant is complete. If you’re using a water flosser this is not an issue.
Best Option for Replacing Missing Teeth
Dr. Mehr and Dr. Cramer have placed many implants over their careers and they believe implants are absolutely the best option for replacing missing teeth. Whether or not you are a candidate for implants depends on your existing bone structure and how much space is available.
At Safe Harbor Smiles, we utilize a Cone Beam Scan to view exact bone level and make placement as accurate as possible. Once a cone beam scan has been taken we will have the information needed to determine if an implant is right for you. If you’re interested in replacing missing teeth, let’s discuss it at your next visit, or give us a call to schedule a consultation.
References
American College of Prosthodontists – https://www.prosthodontics.org/assets/1/7/ACP_Talking_points_for_Missing_Teeth_1-12-15.pdf
Ritter Implants – https://www.ritterimplants.com/blog/top-10-reasons-choose-dental-implants
American Academy of Implant Dentistry – https://www.aaid-implant.org/dental-implants/who-can-benefit/
UIC College of Dentistry – https://dentistry.uic.edu/patients/dental-implants-benefits
Meet a practice where dentistry is friendly and patient-focused! Our team members have been part of our practice for many years and have turned making patients feel comfortable into a fine art.