Replace Missing Teeth with Dental Implants: Top 5 Benefits

Replace Missing Teeth with Dental Implants: Top 5 Benefits

missing teeth CharlottesvilleIn the past, patients had limited options for replacing missing teeth. Before dental implants became widely available, lost teeth were replaced by bridges and full or partial dentures. Today, however, dental implants have become the preferred method of tooth replacement because they are incredibly durable, lifelike, and biocompatible. Our oral surgeon has experience replacing missing teeth with dental implants.

Following are the top five benefits of choosing dental implants to replace lost teeth.

#1 Restored Oral Function

When dental implants become stabilized and their permanent prosthetic crowns are attached, patients will enjoy completely restored oral function. Unlike bridges or dentures, which can limit one’s diet by moving during chewing and speaking, dental implants allow a person to enjoy a full balanced diet with confidence and comfort.

#2 Preserved Bone Health

Bone atrophy is a serious side effect of tooth loss. This is because the roots of teeth no longer stimulate the jawbone. Conventional replacement teeth only addressed the loss of tooth structure that was visible. Dental implants, however, replace the tooth’s root system. They will help keep bone stimulated to prevent bone deterioration in the jaw.

#3 Improved Appearance

Today’s prosthetics like dental crowns can appear just like natural teeth. Made from materials such as porcelain or porcelain fused to metal, crowns are tooth-colored and can be matched to the shade of a patient’s existing biological teeth. When patients choose white crowns for their dental implants, they will enjoy a complete smile that appears lifelike and healthy.

#4 Long Lasting

A dental implant is constructed from titanium. This metal is unique because it allows for a biological process called osseointegration. This process involves bone literally fusing to metal. As the jaw anchors a tooth’s root, a dental implant is held in place by bone integrating to it. Osseointegration means that a dental implant can last for decades and even the rest of a person’s life.

#5 Low Maintenance

Keeping bridges and dentures clean requires water irrigators and overnight soaking. With dental implants, patients will brush and floss around their implants as they would their natural teeth.

To learn more about dental implants and their benefits, call our office to reserve an appointment with our oral surgeons.