5 Health Benefits of Dental Implants
Have you recently lost one or several teeth? If so, ask Dr. Nichols if you're a candidate for dental implants.
A dental implant is a prosthetic tooth root that’s placed in the jawbone so it can later support an abutment and crown. Together, the implant, abutment, and crown give you the full function and appearance of a natural tooth.
Here’s what you need to know about dental implants and how they can improve your overall health.
1. Stop Future Tooth Loss
Your teeth are supported by the adjacent teeth, gums, and jawbone tissue. This means that once you lose one tooth, your risk increases for future tooth loss.
A dental implant gives you the full function and appearance of a natural tooth. Not only does this fill the gap in your smile but it also helps to support adjacent teeth. Your dental implant will also help prevent bone loss in the jaw.
If you don’t , the other teeth will start to drift toward the empty space. Eventually, they may loosen and fall out.
2. Prevent Bone Loss
As soon as you lose a tooth, your body will start to absorb the minerals in your jaw to use elsewhere. If left untreated, you’ll lose significant bone density in the area of the jaw where your tooth used to be.
Unlike dentures that sit on top of your gums, dental implants exert pressure on the jawbone like natural tooth roots. This helps prevent bone loss in the jaw so you can maintain a healthy smile for life.
3. Avoid Facial Collapse
If left untreated, bone loss in your jaw can lead to a condition called facial collapse. This means that the patient doesn’t have enough bone density to maintain their facial shape. Patients experiencing facial collapse may notice that their features appear more sunken.
Once you lose significant bone density, your dentures may feel more uncomfortable. This is because the jawbone and gums both work together to support your dentures. Losing jawbone tissue means less support for your dentures.
4. Eat a Balanced Diet
It’s difficult to eat the foods you love after tooth loss. In fact, it’s not uncommon for patients who experience tooth loss to eat foods that are soft and easy to chew. The only problem is that this makes it difficult to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. That’s why we recommend dental implants and other .
Unlike dentures, tooth implants are embedded in the jawbone. This gives you security and peace of mind while you eat your favorite foods, like steak.
Even the best-fitting dentures will slip on occasion when you eat, cough, or sneeze. But this can be easily corrected by gently biting down and swallowing to shift the dentures back in place.
The good news with dental implants is that you never have to worry about them slipping while you eat. Instead, you can eat with confidence.
5. Smile With Confidence
Have you been hiding your smile or covering your mouth while you laugh? Over time, having missing teeth can chip away at your self-esteem and make you feel self-conscious about your appearance. This loss of confidence may also affect the first impression you give other people.
The good news is that dental implants can help restore your smile, confidence, and self-esteem. Dental implants look and feel natural, giving you the smile of your dreams.
Request an Appointment With Us
Dr. Michael Nichols is an experienced dentist in Grand Rapids, MI. As such, he’d be more than happy to help you explore your tooth replacement options. To schedule an appointment, please call Nichols Family Dentistry at (616) 333-8496. You may also fill out our online contact form.