If you are missing one or more teeth, you may be wondering what the benefits of dental implants are as compared to other types of tooth restoration procedures. Although the process of getting an implant may take longer from start to finish, the benefits often outweigh the time and cost involved in the procedure, leading more and more people to opt for this tooth replacement procedure when they want the look, the feel and the durability of a natural tooth.
Benefits Of Dental Implants
For starters, one key benefit to getting a dental implant is that it can serve to anchor a tooth that will look and feel as natural as a “real” tooth. Once the implant is securely placed into the jaw bone, it permanently anchors a false tooth that will not move or have to be removed from the mouth. This means that the tooth will feel comfortable, will look natural and will function just like any other tooth in your mouth.
Dental implants are often considered in place of a bridge. If undergoing the latter procedure, the existing teeth surrounding the missing tooth need to be ground down in order to be able to permanently secure a crown to each tooth to serve as an anchor for the bridge. The span across is then filled in with a fake replacement tooth that is anchored to the surrounding existing teeth by means of the dental bridge. This option may result in you seeing the portion of the apparatus that anchors the tooth and may also require more extensive care to keep it from breaking, cracking or developing decay around or under the replacement tooth. Additionally, since the surrounding teeth are ground down, even if they had been in excellent condition before, they must now be permanently covered by a dental crown.
In contrast, if you replace a missing tooth with an implant, no surrounding teeth need to be compromised in order to secure the replacement tooth in your mouth. Since the tooth sits on a titanium anchor that is securely set into the jawbone, it does not require any further support from adjacent teeth.
Another option that is sometimes considered instead of dental implants if an individual is missing more than one tooth is dentures. While the removable variety have their own set of drawbacks, such as the comfort and the naturalness of how they look and feel, there are varieties of implant-supported dentures that remove some of these drawbacks, since they are permanently secured in the mouth. Replacing teeth in this way when you have multiple teeth to replace also doesn’t require that an anchor be implanted for each and every tooth, but rather just a few in key positions along the jawline can permanently secure an entire span of fabricated teeth.
Whether dental implants are used to replace just a single tooth or a span of teeth, one of the most important benefits is not actually seen but affects bone health. Since the titanium rod that is secured into the bone causes new bone growth around the implanted rod, it results in stronger and healthier bone over time. In contrast, a tooth that is removed from the jawbone that has no surgical replacement allows for the atrophy of bone and resulting bone loss over time.
For more information about dental implants or to schedule an appointment with one of our dentists in Queens, contact Park Dental Care of Astoria at 718-274-1515.
