1. Implants revitalize your smile.

Dental implants consist of a titanium metal post that’s embedded into your jawbone and topped with a tooth replacement option. This replacement is often a porcelain crown to replace a single tooth, but implants can also be fitted with bridges, partial dentures, or full dentures to replace multiple teeth.

Filling the gap in your smile with an implant can work wonders for your confidence. Since they’re made of porcelain, however, your tooth replacement is customizable and will look just as realistic as your natural teeth. You’ll be able to choose the size, shape, and shade of your restoration, which helps it look unique and natural instead of cookie-cutter. Whether you have implant-supported dentures or a single crown, no one will be able to tell the difference between your natural teeth and your implant.

2. They restore the natural stability and function of your teeth.

The deeply embedded titanium post of implants is meant to mimic a natural tooth root, and it does its job well. No other tooth replacement option provides the same level of stability and strength that dental implants do. Whether you top your implants with a crown, bridge, or dentures, you won’t have to worry about what foods you can or can’t eat. They provide a deep-rooted stability that enables you to trust them to work just as well as your natural teeth. This helps restore your confidence in public because you won’t have to worry about your dentures slipping while you’re talking or eating. You can simply enjoy yourself by smiling, laughing, talking, and eating without giving your implants a second thought!

3. They prevent bone loss and protect your face shape.

In addition to providing stability for your teeth, your natural tooth roots stimulate your jawbone, so it retains a healthy bone density. When you lose a natural tooth, the jawbone where the root used to be doesn’t get that stimulation anymore. Your body will begin to reabsorb the bone, which causes the area to lose bone density over time. It can even impact the shape of your face; it’s the culprit of the trademark sunken-in jaws that tend to develop in people who wear traditional dentures. Thankfully, the titanium metal of an implant takes the place of a tooth root, providing the stimulation your jaw needs to maintain a healthy density.

Even better, titanium actively encourages bone growth. During the healing process, bone grows around the implant, securing it more firmly in place and even reversing some bone loss in the process. Despite this, dental implants do require a certain level of bone density before they can be placed. If your jaw has suffered too much bone loss, you’ll likely need a bone graft before you can get your implant.

Implants’ ability to reverse and protect against bone loss is unique. No other tooth replacement option can do this. Not only does this keep your teeth and jaws healthier, but it protects your face shape and the appearance of your smile for years to come.

4. Implants Help You Look Younger.

Although we often don’t think about it, teeth help support and fill out the skin of our faces. When you lose multiple teeth, the skin of your face isn’t held as taut, and it begins to look a little more wrinkled or saggy. This can make you appear years older than you actually are. When you replace your missing tooth with a dental implant, the skin of your face and jaw has the support it needs. This helps it look smoother and younger. This may seem like a simple detail, but it can help you look years younger and give you a major confidence boost regarding your overall appearance, not just the appearance of your smile itself.

5. They protect your oral health.

When you lose a tooth, the gap in your smile forms a pocket that tends to catch food debris. It’s difficult to clean and vulnerable to gum disease, but over time, you’ll notice the pocket shrink as your remaining teeth begin shifting into that gap. This is bad for your oral health because larger-than-average gaps can begin to form between several of your teeth. These teeth become much harder to clean, which makes them vulnerable to both cavities and gum disease like periodontitis. It also impacts the way your smile looks, as the gaps between your teeth might be noticeable when you smile. Replacing your tooth with a dental implant keeps your remaining teeth from shifting in your mouth and eliminates any sort of pocket that could capture food debris, making it much easier to floss and brush your teeth.

This means you’ll have an easier time keeping your remaining teeth healthy, decreasing your chances of needing another implant in the future. While other tooth replacement options can accomplish this, dental implants are the only treatment that can replace a tooth without requiring otherwise unnecessary dental work on nearby healthy teeth. Bridges, for example, are held in place by securing crowns to the teeth on either side of the gap in your smile. While bridges are a safe and effective treatment, keeping as much of your natural tooth structure as possible is always healthier for your teeth. This means dental implants are the best option when it comes to choosing a treatment that will do the most to protect your oral health for years to come.

Take advantage of everything dental implants have to offer. Dental implants provide a mixture of stability and practicality with aesthetics. When you choose implants to replace your missing tooth, you’ll gain confidence in the long-term health, function, and appearance of your smile. If you’re interested in learning more about dental implants or other tooth replacement options, feel free to call and schedule an appointment with Dr. Stella Gonzalez at any time.