How Dental Implants Can Optimize Your Health
Losing teeth does more than ruin your smile. Tooth loss takes a toll on your oral and general health. Here’s how dental implants can improve your smile as well as your health.
Millions of American adults are living with partial or full tooth loss. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth loss is so common in the United States that almost half of all American adults are missing at least one tooth, and as many as 40 million have lost all of their natural teeth.
While the risk of tooth loss increases with age due to factors like gum disease and poor dental care, the fact is that everyone is vulnerable to tooth loss. Dental implants are much more than a cosmetic solution; they’re the next best thing to a natural tooth.
At Scott Young, DDS, our dentists specialize in dental implants and offer a range of cosmetic and general dentistry services at our practice in The Woodlands, Texas.
There are more options available than ever to replace missing teeth and fix your smile after an extraction or tooth loss due to trauma. Here are some of the factors that make dental implants such a great option:
With dental implants, the crown or set of dentures is anchored in place and attached to the implant. You get a stable and secure fit that won’t shift or become loose, just like a real tooth.
When a tooth is knocked out or extracted, the surrounding bone tissue and gums begin to erode. If left untreated, bone loss can increase your risk of gum disease and other oral health problems, making your remaining teeth less stable. Implants prevent bone loss and stimulate new bone growth.
You’ll still have to brush and floss as usual after getting implants, but caring for your implants is as simple and easy as caring for your natural teeth.
Implants are the only dental restoration that replaces a missing tooth from root to crown. Once the implant is installed, you won’t be able to tell the difference.
Dental implants are available to replace a single tooth, and they can also support a set of dentures.
While you may have to replace the cosmetic crown if it becomes damaged or worn down over time, implants are designed to be a long term solution. Once the implant is placed in the socket of the missing tooth, it fuses with the surrounding bone tissue and stays in place for good.
Another benefit of preserving the bone tissue is that your gums won’t shrink and cause your cheeks to look sunken and gaunt, which is common after tooth loss.
With your implants firmly in place and no gaps in your smile, you won’t have to worry about speech problems or difficulty eating your favorite foods.
If you’re an adult in good health, you might be a great candidate for dental implants.
For more information about the benefits of dental implants, and to find out if they’re a good option for you, contact us to schedule an appointment with one of our dentists. Or you can request an appointment online.
