5 Reasons Dental Implants Are Superior to Other Teeth Replacement Options

Tooth loss is more common in older adults, but it is something people find themselves dealing with long before then. Adults between 20-64 years of age lose 7-10 teeth over that time, and 3.75% of adults in the age group have lost all of their teeth (starting around 35). There are a number of different reasons for tooth loss, including tooth decay (dental caries), smoking, diabetes, bad dental hygiene, and age (men over 35 are at greater risk of tooth loss).

Whatever the reason for tooth loss, there are several options to replace them, including dental bridges, partial dentures, and dental implants. Of these options, implants have specific benefits that allow them to last longer and restore more normal function than bridges or dentures. To examine the advantages of dental implants, let’s look at how they work and what benefits they provide.

Residents of the Carmel, Indiana area looking for the best tooth replacement options can find help with Drs. Suzette Nikas, Chelsea Laucher, and the skilled medical team at Hazel Dell Dentistry.

How dental implants work

A method that can be used to replace single or multiple teeth, this surgical procedure replaces tooth roots in the jaw with metal posts to keep the replacement tooth in place. Once the post is placed, it will take time for it to fuse with the jaw, also referred to as osseointegration. 

When the fusing is complete, an extension is placed on the post called an abutment, which is the portion of the implant where the final crown is attached once the abutment has healed. The final crown is placed after an impression is made of your mouth to fit it properly in place. 

The whole process takes several months, and times will vary depending on how quickly you heal at each stage of the implant.

Benefits of dental implants

Here are numerous ways a dental implant is a better choice than a bridge or dentures:

1. Implants allow for more stability

The osseointegration process that fuses the post to your jawbone creates a far more stable place for your replacement tooth to go, making it much harder for it to become loose or fall out. Strong stability also helps the implant last longer than either bridges or dentures.

2. Implants behave more like natural teeth

Since the post is placed in the tooth root, the result is an artificial tooth that looks and behaves like a natural tooth. This also means you can care for it as well as your natural teeth to help it last longer.

3. Implants help improve oral health

This process doesn’t require any damage to other healthy teeth, as bridges often do. The treatment focuses only on the tooth that needs replacing, and since the finish works like the other teeth without the risk of tooth decay in it, it helps promote better long term dental health (provided you use proper dental hygiene).

4. Implants help to improve speech

Implants are far more stable than the other tooth replacement options, making them better for eating and improving speech. Artificial teeth that don’t fall out remove the embarrassment associated with shifting and slipping dentures in social circles and reduce difficulty in basic tasks such as chewing and talking.

5. Implants are more convenient

Implants remove the need to constantly remove teeth for cleaning and don’t require any sort of cement to keep in place. There are implant-supported dentures that can be made to be removable, but even that choice provides you with more options and better stability than other tooth replacement options.

The dental implant process may take longer, but the result is a longer-lasting, more durable solution that gives you working teeth without the embarrassment of slipping and falling out. If you need replacement teeth and you’re considering dental implants, make an appointment with Drs. Nikas, Laucher, and Hazel Dell Dentistry today.