Why are dental implants the best option to replacing natural teeth in most situations? Our natural teeth help to preserve the bone in our jaws; implants function very similar to natural teeth in this manner. If a missing tooth or missing teeth leave an empty space in the mouth for an extended amount of time bone loss occurs in that area of the mouth.
Implants help preserve periodontal bone by stimulating bone and as a result they help prevent bone loss similar to a natural tooth. Any other type of prosthetic tooth replacement options do not help to preserve bone. Examples of options that don’t help preserve bone are bridges or removable partials/dentures.
Implants:
- Are an optimal solution to missing teeth
- Function similar to natural teeth
- Help preserve periodontal bone
- Prevent bone loss by stimulating bone in which they are anchored
- Are considered a more reliable or permanent solution to missing teeth
- Stay in place, and they do not shift
- Preserve the health of nearby teeth
- Allow one to eat, speak, chew, swallow easier because they are strong and stable
Another benefit to implants is that they are conservative to other treatment options because they replace only the tooth or teeth that are missing vs altering healthy nearby teeth. Implants save or preserve natural teeth on either side of the missing tooth location because these teeth don’t have to be altered to become part of a bridge or used as anchor teeth to removable partials.
One can speak, eat, cough, chew, swallow, sneeze, sing, yell, and kiss more confidently with implants vs removable appliances which can move during these same activities. With implants one can rest easy knowing that they can not be removed like other types of prosthetic appliances.
