Whether you’ve lost a tooth or two, it can affect your self-confidence and the ability to smile freely, especially if they’re your front teeth. In addition, you’re faced with the difficult decision of finding a suitable tooth replacement option and worry about how your new smile will look and feel. But most of all, you also wonder how tooth replacement will affect your general oral health. There are several tooth replacement options to explore, one of them being dental implants.
Dental implants are excellent tooth replacements as they improve your oral health in several ways. Here are six of them:
They Help Protect Jaw And Bone Health
When you lose teeth, they leave an empty socket. What most people don’t know is that space can lead to other oral health issues. The jawbone retains its shape by getting stimulated by tooth roots. If you have one or more teeth missing, it affects the jawbone in all the areas with empty teeth sockets. As a result, the jawbone continues to weaken and deteriorate with time.
This causes the remaining teeth to loosen to the extent of falling out sometimes. This can even cause the shape of your jawbone to change. With a dental implant procedure, all the spaces are sufficiently filled. This way, the strength and shape of your jawbone are preserved.
They Enhance The Ability To Chew Normally
The thing with missing teeth is they don’t only affect the shape of your jaws, which contribute significantly to how you chew food, but they also limit what you can chew. You may encounter problems chewing certain foods with missing teeth, limiting the foods you can eat. Eating soft and processed foods only may have adverse effects on your oral and general health.
Experts have linked these foods to numerous health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and excessive weight gain due to processed foods. When you get dental implants, your ability to chew all types of food naturally is restored. It improves the overall form and strength of your jaws and keeps your entire body healthy as well.
They Reduce The Risk Of Tooth Cavities And Gum Disease
Tooth cavities and gum disease are among the most common dental health issues people face. They’re caused by bacteria on your teeth and gums. The teeth next to the empty tooth socket are exposed and more susceptible to bacteria. Besides, the space creates an easy entry for bacteria to get into your gums.
You may end up with gum disease or inflamed gum tissue that can cause you discomfort. When you have dental implants, you block bacteria from reaching and building up in your gums. This gives you a healthier smile.
They Give The Natural Teeth Function And Stability
Dental implants are made to mimic the natural teeth with a deeply fixed titanium implant post. They provide a natural feel, function, and stability, helping your mouth perform as it did with healthy natural teeth. This gives confidence when you’re eating or talking as you don’t have to worry about your teeth not staying in place. You do all the things natural teeth help you do without a second thought.
They Help With Teeth Alignment Issues
When there’s a space next to a tooth, the tooth tends to move toward it, attempting to fill it. This causes your remaining teeth to move out of their normal position, leading to misaligned teeth. Apart from having crooked teeth, misaligned teeth are harder to clean, affecting your jaws. It may put you at a higher risk of other oral health conditions such as cavities, tooth decay, and gum diseases.
Also, misaligned teeth make you overly conscious anytime you talk, smile, laugh, or eat. Dental implants improve your oral health and restore the beauty of your smile, resulting in more confidence.
They Improve Periodontal Health
When the reason for your loose or missing teeth is periodontal disease, there’s a high likelihood of the problem recurring in the future. Periodontitis is a severe gum infection that can damage the bone supporting your teeth. As said earlier, empty teeth create room for bacteria build-up.
That bacteria may also lead to gum infection. Once your gums are infected, they can quickly transfer to your jaws, bones, and throughout the body. This is another oral health problem dental implants may help eliminate.
Final Thoughts
Dental implants may be artificial teeth, but they offer immense benefits and improvement to your oral health. They make you forget about teeth issues as they’re made to look and feel natural in your mouth. They keep your jawbone in place and enable you to chew food without worrying about their moving or getting damaged. In addition, they don’t need any special care. You can follow the normal dental routine as with your natural teeth.
