If you have one or more missing teeth, you have a lot of dental options available to you. Implants, dentures, and bridges are some of the most common methods for replacing missing teeth, but not all methods are equal. Dental implants outlast bridges and dentures by a long time for most patients, which makes them a perfect replacement for a missing tooth. If you're curious about dental implants, check out these three reasons why dental implants are the best option among tooth replacement methods.
High Quality Materials
Most dental implants are made out of high quality materials, typically porcelain and titanium. Porcelain is the same material used in the majority of dental fillings and some crowns. It's designed to withstand the repeated pressure of biting, chewing, and grinding your teeth. Titanium is one of the hardest metals available, and it's used to make up the post of the implant which takes the place of a tooth root. In comparison, dentures are often made out of plastic and resin, which aren't as resilient.
No Additional Strain
Bridges are useful for replacing missing teeth, but they can cause damage to your surrounding healthy teeth.
Bridges are designed to be attached to nearby healthy teeth, effectively bridging the gap. While this is an effective method, it puts strain on those healthy teeth. Over the years, those teeth can become misaligned or even damaged from this strain.
Dental implants, on the other hand, are self-sustaining and don't rely on surrounding teeth to stay in place. They rely solely on the titanium peg that they're attached to, so your healthy teeth stay healthy. This means that your implant will last for years to come and you won't need to have additional repairs made to the surrounding teeth due to them.
Stimulates Jaw Growth
Lastly, dental implants tend to last longer because they keep your jaw strong and healthy.
Healthy teeth help to keep jaws strong by transmitting pressure from bites down into the jaw bone. This stimulates the bone to grow and replenish itself. When teeth go missing, the jaw weakens over time.
Since dental implants mimic a real tooth's root with their titanium pegs, they perform the same action just like a real tooth does. As a result, your jaw stays strong, which supports the implant and keeps it where it belongs. In comparison, dental bridges and dentures don't transmit pressure; you could end up losing more teeth, which would mean needing a new bridge or set of dentures.
Dental implants are a superior method for replacing missing teeth due to their resilience and their ability to support surrounding structures of the mouth and jaw. If you're looking for a tooth replacement that will last for a decade or more, dental implants are the way to go.
