Dental implants are nothing new. In fact, the first dental implant was placed back in the early 1960s and this method for replacing teeth grew slowly until the 1980s, when they truly gained popular acclaim. In contrast to dental bridges and dentures, dental implants replace the total structure of a missing tooth (or teeth), both the root and the crown. This innovative tooth replacement procedure is changing lives and smiles across the United States. Learn more about how dental implants could change your life for the better.
1. You’ll Have a Confidence-Boosting New Smile
“That missing tooth really makes that guy look attractive and sophisticated,” said no one, ever. Let’s face it, missing teeth look bad and, according to a number of perception studies published on the topic, can make a person look poorer, less educated, unhealthier, less attractive, and even less trustworthy than someone with a complete smile.
Replacing that missing tooth with a custom-crafted, highly realistic dental implant crown (or implant bridge or denture, depending on your needs) will restore your confidence and help you smile easier.
2. You’ll Minimize Your Risk for Losing More Teeth
Current research strongly suggests that having one missing tooth can increase your risk for further tooth loss. This is due primarily to the loss of alveolar bone density in the area beneath the missing tooth, which can compromise the stability of surrounding teeth, although factors that caused you to lose that first tooth (including poor oral health, smoking, or playing contact sports without a mouthguard) can lead to the loss of further teeth.
Replacing that missing tooth with a dental implant helps to maintain healthy alveolar bone density because the artificial tooth root (referred to as the “implant post”) stimulates the delivery of vital nutrients to the area.
3. You’ll Enjoy Normal Eating and Speaking
If you have a missing tooth (or worse, several missing teeth or no teeth on your upper and/or lower dental arch), you know exactly how difficult it can be to bite, chew, and make the sounds necessary for normal speech.
When you replace the missing tooth with a dental implant, your normal speaking ability will return and most patients regain the majority of their normal chewing ability.
