For patients who have lost their natural teeth, wearing dentures can be a difficult situation. Not only are they challenging to get used to, but they also limit your enjoyment of foods. Overall, they just don’t feel natural. Luckily, dental implants offer a restorative option that circumscribes these problems entirely. Dental implants first showed up around 30 years ago, and have totally changed the world of prosthetic teeth. If someone you love has struggled with dentures, now is the perfect time to learn about the benefits of dental implants.
Would you like to learn more about implant treatments? Contact Carolina Oaks Dental Care today and Dr. Molly Netzler or Dr. Tait Carpenter will be happy to tell you more about the options and procedures involved. Contact our Clemson, SC dental office today at 864-654-6700 to make an appointment!
1. Stability
With traditional dentures, the plates are connected to the mouth via suction, and sometimes an adhesive substance. With a perfect fit, this is sufficient to hold the prosthetic teeth in place when you chew and speak. The only problem is that dentures frequently lose their perfect fit, since the dimensions of the mouth change once teeth are no longer present in the jaw. Furthermore, hard or crunchy foods can dislodge the plates when chewing. Implant-supported dentures are different because the denture is firmly attached to implant bases, which are stabilized in the facial bones. With secure attachments, they never come loose or require adhesives to stay in place.
2. Comfort
In fact, implants provide such a stable base for the dentures that biting and chewing will feel more natural, all around. Many patients report that eating feels natural again once their implant dentures have been placed. They are also more comfortable because they never rub against the gums. Even when traditional dentures fit perfectly, they put pressure on the gums every time you chew. That’s just how they work. Implant dentures, on the other hand, never rub up against the gums, which makes eating far less uncomfortable. Additionally, you will also be more comfortable overall, knowing that your dentures won’t come loose and embarrass you when you are eating with friends and family!
3. Health and Nutrition
Implant-based dentures give your body and mouth a better chance at staying healthy. As we age, we tend to eat less anyway, so it’s important that our diets stay rich and varied. With traditional dentures, foods that require you to bite and pull are frequently off the menu. With implant-supported prosthetics, you will instead have access to the same range of foods one can enjoy with healthy natural teeth.
Your oral health will also improve, as less friction with dental plates means less gum irritation. Many denture wearers wind up with chronically sore gums and oral lesions. Since irritants of the soft tissues of the mouth have been linked with oral cancers, they may even reduce your risk of developing this disease.
4. Appearance
With implant-based prosthetic teeth, you will appear more confident because you are not embarrassed by the possibility of dentures slipping loose when you are with others–but there’s another factor that affects your appearance: facial degeneration. As you may know, losing your teeth has a long-term affect on your appearance in the form of jawbone diminishment. When tooth roots are no longer present in the jaw, our body stops sending the vital minerals we need to maintain bone tissue. Over a period of a decade or more, the lower jaw slowly shrinks. There is perhaps no greater sign of aging than this. Since the biocompatible titanium implants act as fully functional replacements for your roots, implant dentures prevent this drastic change to your appearance. They let you continue to look like yourself!
5. A Versatile Solution
Because dental implants function more like natural teeth, they offer a greater variety of conservative restoration options. One missing tooth can be replaced with a single implant and a porcelain crown. Lost teeth in only one quadrant of the mouth can be replaced with two implants and a bridge, (a situation that previously could only be corrected with a partial denture). Partial dentures can be attached with only two implants, and more healthy teeth can be preserved. Furthermore, many prosthetics can be made to be permanently attached to the implants, which is great news for patients who cannot care for themselves independently or who may be otherwise more likely to “lose their teeth.” Ultimately, more things are possible with dental implants!
Contact Carolina Oaks Dental Care today to explore whether dental implants might be right for you. Dr. Netzler or Dr. Carpenter will be happy to give you a consultation to assess your situation, and tell you about the options and treatment steps.. Contact our Clemson, SC dental office today at 864-654-6700 to make an appointment!
