Why choose implants Why choose implants

What are the advantages of dental implants?

If you, like millions of adults, have lost one or more teeth, you may be all too familiar with the unpleasant consequences. For many people, missing teeth lead to an unattractive smile, embarrassment from loose dentures, pain, difficulty eating, and a less active lifestyle. Choosing dental implants can solve all of these problems and the main advantages include:

  • Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
  • Improved speech.With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that your teeth might slip.
  • Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
  • Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
  • Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
  • Improved oral health. Dental implants don't require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving your long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
  • Durability. Implants are very durable and will last many years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
  • Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing your dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep your dentures in place.

    • What are the advantages of dental implants over dentures and bridges?

  • Reduced bone loss Normally, the bone tissue surrounding the root of your tooth is maintained by your body’s natural renewal process. However, if you loose a tooth, you will be left with a hole where your tooth root used to be and the bone around this area will slowly begin to disappear (atrophy) which may change the shape of your jaw. A dental implant placed in that area can actually stimulate bone growth and production, preventing loss of valuable bone structure. In some patients where bone loss is substantial, a bone graft may be required before placing a dental implant. Bone loss is a problem for people who have dentures, and as the shape of the jaw slowly changes, the dentures need to be adjusted or re-made to fit the new shape of the jaw. Bone loss can also make a person look older, since the area around the mouth can sag as bone is lost .
  • Improved function Once dental implants are fully integrated into your jaw, they function just as well as your own natural teeth: you can eat the foods you want and speak with complete confidence. With dentures, eating hard foods such as an apple can be a problem: either the dentures come loose or patients cannot withstand the hard biting forces as they cause pain in the gums. Irritation and inflammation of the gums is a common problem amongst denture patients. Dentures can be supported by implants or mini-implants, which will greatly improve function, enabling patients to eat the foods they want with complete confidence and not having to worry about bone loss and loose dentures falling out.
  • Improved dental hygiene Unlike bridges and dentures, which require special cleaning instructions and extra attention, dental implants just need regular brushing, flossing and dental hygiene appointments, just like your natural teeth.
  • No need to drill or remove any healthy tooth structure When replacing missing teeth with dental bridges, the teeth adjacent to the gap need to be prepared and healthy tooth structure is removed to accommodate a crown or bridge abutment to fit over the top of the tooth. In the future, if one of the supporting teeth is damaged, the entire bridge restoration will also be compromised, whereas with an implant, the restoration is independent of any of your other teeth. By replacing lost teeth with an implant, no support is required of the adjacent teeth, and your natural teeth do not need to be prepared or altered in any way.
  • Better esthetics If done correctly, a dental implant should be indistinguishable from your surrounding natural teeth. Dentures can come loose and look unnatural if they do not blend with your gums, and some bridges and dentures have unsightly metal clasps to hold them in place. Dental implants provide a much better cosmetic and functional end result.

I am missing a single tooth. What are the consequences of not replacing a single tooth?

All our teeth are held securely in the jaw bone. Disease decay or trauma may lead to tooth loss. If a lost tooth is not immediately replaced the surrounding bone begins to collapse and shrink. With no adjacent support the neighboring teeth begin to drift toward the area of the missing tooth. The amount of bone loss and the pattern of drifting will vary depending on the individual and the location of tooth loss. The drifting of one tooth may lead to the drifting of several teeth resulting in significant amount of movement. Periodontal disease may begin to form after your teeth have drifted and erupted because it is difficult to clean your gums and reach all of the pockets in those areas. This may lead to tooth decay, receding gums and further tooth loss.

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I am missing several teeth. What are the consequences of not replacing several teeth?

Your teeth are held in place by their roots in the jaw bone. Tooth decay disease or trauma may have caused the loss of several teeth. Immediately after tooth loss the jaw bone will begin to resorb or shrink. Over time the ridge of the jaw bone becomes much thinner limiting the options and possibilities of tooth replacement. The remaining teeth no longer have the support that the lost teeth and bone provided. With no support the teeth begin to drift and erupt towards the open areas. The overload can move and weaken those teeth, possibly leading to additional tooth loss.

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I lost all my teeth. What are the consequences of not replacing teeth?

Natural teeth are held securely in place by their roots in the jaw bone. Disease decay or trauma may lead to the loss of all of one’s teeth. The roots had previously stimulated the surrounding bone maintaining the jaws natural shape. However, with no roots in place the jaw bone will begin to resorb or shrink because it no longer serves the purpose that nature intended. Many years of bone loss may cause your face to change. Your mouth and jaw appear to collapse, your lips look thinner, and there is an increase in wrinkles in the mouth and neck.

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SSimulation of premature aging

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