Remember to Take out Your Dentures Every Night

Having missing teeth may cause you to hide your smile, but with so many options to replace missing teeth, you should get the smile you deserve. Dental implants are growing in popularity for their many benefits, but their high price keeps many patients from considering this tooth-replacement option. If you have missing teeth, but you haven't considered dental implants yet, check out these three reasons you should.

Implants Don't Cause Damage to Existing Teeth

Dental bridges have long served as a common way to replace one or a few missing teeth, but dental bridges have a major flaw. They require damage to existing teeth. To hold the dental bridge in place, anchor teeth are needed. These teeth, positioned on each side of the missing tooth/teeth are filed down, removing the enamel and exposing the vulnerable inner-tooth. This process increase the risk of trauma to the pulp, which may cause an infection at some point in the future. The process is also permanent. Dental implants, however, don't use anchor teeth. They rely on the jawbone for support like a real tooth.

They Are Almost as Durable as Real Teeth

A tooth implant is actually like a titanium root, which sits in the jawbone like a real tooth root. Once the area heals, a crown is placed to mimic the crown of a real tooth. However, natural teeth have ligaments, which hold the tooth root, securing it in the jawbone. This is makes natural healthy teeth strong enough to withstand great pressure. The body doesn't regrow these ligaments after an implant is placed, but the jawbone fuses to the titanium implant, creating a strong hold. This makes implants the most durable way to replace missing teeth.

There Are Different Types

It doesn't matter how many teeth you're missing; dental implants can help. Single dental implants are perfect if you are missing one tooth, but if you're missing multiple, you may want to consider an implant-supported bridge or implant-supported dentures to save money. An implant-supported bridge works like a traditional bridge, but it may use two to six implants (depending on how many teeth you are missing), instead of teeth to anchor the implant. For people who are missing all their teeth, implant-supported dentures are also an option. They also use several implants to support the fake teeth, but unlike single implants and implant-supported bridges, they are removable. They do, however, snap into place, making them more stable than traditional dentures.

If you have missing teeth, and you don't want to hide your smile another moment, it's time to consider tooth-replacement options. Dental implants come in many options, and they are durable. If you would like more information regarding dental implants or other tooth-replacement options, contact a dentist in your area today.