Why are dental implants preferred to dentures?

If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may have tried dentures to help fill the gap and restore your smile.

While these may work for a while, there is an alternative to dentures that fits better, is more comfortable, and functions exactly like a real tooth—dental implants! Your dentist may have recommended these in place of dentures.

Designed to help you smile, speak, and eat more easily, dental implants mimic the look and feel of your natural teeth and are designed to work just like them.

On the fence about the procedure? Today, we’re here to set your mind at ease. Check out these 10 reasons why you should consider dental implants to restore your smile.

1. Dental Implants Have Improved Appearance

Dental implants offer a more natural and realistic appearance than removable dentures. In fact, they’re meant to closely resemble your natural teeth as much as possible. The only way someone will be able to tell that you’ve undergone this treatment is if you tell them! Otherwise, modern implants blend seamlessly with the rest of your teeth for a uniform look.

2. Dental Implants Have Unmatched Durability

Your dental implant isn’t meant to last only a few years. As long as you properly maintain it, it can last a lifetime!

What makes it so secure? The implant itself is made of titanium. It permanently fuses to your jawbone through a process known as osseointegration. Titanium is used because of the material’s ability to fuse with natural bone tissue.

Once the process is complete and your jawbone is healed, your dentist will apply a crown on top of the implant that looks, feels, and functions just like a real tooth.

3. Renowned Quality

At our office, Dr. Alhadef trusts Nobel Biocare implants, which offer incredible esthetics and maximum stability.

Many different factors will determine your implant success, including your general and oral health, as well as your jawbone density and the expertise of your prosthodontist. However, the dental implant manufacturer that your dentist selects is also of paramount importance.

Nobel Biocare is backed by more than 50 years of research and has a long-standing history of dental innovation. These implants offer top-tier support and durability, even in compromised bone situations.

4. Maintains Your Dental Structure

If left untreated, the spaces that result from missing teeth can begin to compromise your existing dental structure. Teeth adjacent to the gap can begin to shift and turn inward, which can affect your appearance, along with your bite.

In turn, this can lead to headaches, muscle pain, and even temporomandibular disorders (TMD). It can also lead to further tooth loss.

Dental implants help you maintain your dental structure so this doesn’t occur. They effectively replace missing teeth, while also supporting and bracing neighboring teeth. This keeps everything in place and allows you to eat, chew, and speak comfortably.

5. Same-Day Crowns

Once your jawbone is healed following osseointegration, your dentist is ready to apply the crown on top.

In many dental offices, the standard procedure is to come in for a visit where the dentist will take a scan of your teeth. Then, they’ll send that scan to a separate, third-party dental laboratory, where technicians will create a custom crown that will fit in your mouth. In the meantime, you’ll wear a temporary crown while this design process is taking place.

At Dr. Alhadef’s office, we use a highly advanced computer system called CEREC to provide same-day crowns, chair-side! This means no lengthy waiting period or uncomfortable, short-term fittings. After taking a scan of your teeth, Dr. Alhadef will custom-mill specialized, all-ceramic Emax crowns designed precisely for your specifications.

6. Dental Implants Easy to Maintain

One of the best features of dental implants? Unlike dentures, they don’t require extensive measures to maintain.

To keep them looking their best, you just need to follow normal oral hygiene guidelines, including brushing and flossing twice a day, sticking to a healthy diet, and visiting your dentist for routine preventative cleanings.

7. Ward off Bone Loss and Periodontitis

Missing teeth can lead to bone loss in your jaw over time. As this occurs, it can cause your teeth to loosen and your gums to detach, leaving little pockets around your teeth. As these pockets fill with bacteria, it can lead to periodontitis, or severe gum disease. At the same time, jawbone deterioration can also cause your facial features to begin to sink in.

Once you begin chewing with your dental implant and using it as normal, you will reintroduce pressure on your jaw, which can stimulate bone production. This action can prevent or even reverse bone loss, as well as periodontitis. Without such stimulation, your jawbone would be unable to rebuild itself. As living tissue, it requires regular movement to stay fortified and prevent fractures.

8. Dental Implants Prevent Future Cavities

The material used to create your dental crowns is artificial. Therefore, it’s cavity-resistant!

While this is in no way a green light to skip out on daily dental care, it’s reassuring to know that further decay is avoidable. Just remember to take care of your implant as you do the teeth around it, and you can help keep dental caries at bay.

9. Dental Implants are a Cost-Effective Treatment

When you consider their extensive lifespan, dental implants are actually one of the more cost-effective dental treatments around. While they might cost more than dentures initially, they offer a much greater return on your investment.

10. Eat, Speak, and Live More Comfortably

Unlike some dentures, implants will not shift around in your mouth. This means you’re free to eat your favorite foods and enjoy long conversations with confidence.

In addition, implants are simply more convenient! You don’t have to worry about taking them out at night, removing them for cleaning, or misplacing them. There’s also no messy adhesive to work with, and no risk of developing the sore spots that dentures can sometimes cause.

Learn more about dental implants.

Now that you know more about them, are you considering dental implants to help replace your missing teeth?

As realistic as your natural teeth, implants are low-maintenance, long-wearing, and great-looking. This is especially the case when your dentist teams with a trusted, industry-leading manufacturer, like Nobel Biocare. Once it’s securely in place, you can trust your implant to last for years as long as you maintain it.

To learn more about this procedure or visit our office for a consultation, feel free to make an appointment today!