Tooth loss is an issue that affects many people across the country. Approximately 178 million Americans have lost at least one tooth while 40 million have lost all of their teeth. Fortunately, losing a tooth no longer means that you need to go the rest of your life without it. There are several tooth replacement options out there to help. Dental implants have become a preferred option because of their numerous benefits, including their high success rate. Read on to learn some reasons why they have become so successful.
Keeps Your Jawbone Strong
When you are missing teeth, the jawbone isn’t being stimulated by regular chewing, so it will ultimately begin to be reabsorbed over time and cause a variety of problems. This can cause people to have sunken-in cheeks and wrinkled lips, adding up to 10 years to their appearance! Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option out there that replace the root of the missing teeth, therefore allowing for jawbone stimulation. Ultimately, they prevent bone loss and restore up to 90% of your chewing ability.
Fuses to the Jawbone
After your dental implants are placed, they fuse to the jawbone in a process called, ‘osseointegration.’ This process secures the implant and makes it a part of your body. This is why it is so important to allow for the implant to heal properly.
Better for Your Surrounding Teeth
If you have a gap in your smile due to a missing tooth, your surrounding teeth won’t just stay put. They will attempt to shift around in order to fill in this extra space in your smile. This means that your other teeth will move and can even loosen, leading to additional tooth loss. When you replace the missing tooth with an implant, you are preventing misalignment issues. This way, your teeth stay just where they should be.
Expertise and Experience
When you choose an implant dentist with lots of experience and expertise, this only makes it more likely that your implants will last well into the future. Implants need to be placed precisely into an area where there is enough bone tissue to support it. This requires careful planning an extensive knowledge so the procedure can be a success. When choosing an implant dentist, check into their years of experience, additional training, and the types of professional organizations that they are a part of.
With so many benefits, it is no wonder that dental implants have become so popular. Talk to your dentist to find out if they are the right tooth replacement option for you.
About the Author
Dr. Gerald T. Shinkawa is an experienced dentist who has been working in the field for well over 40 years. He earned his dental doctorate from the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry and is committed to continuing education in numerous subjects, including dental implants, to keep his knowledge and skills sharp. For more information on dental implants or to schedule an appointment at his office in Fresno, visit his website or call (559) 226-5656.