When you’re missing a tooth or a couple teeth you have different options. You can have a bridge span the gap, anchored on each side with crowns. You can have a partial denture, particularly if you’re missing a few teeth, to fill the gap. Or you can have a dental implant replace the missing tooth.
At Gentle Dental, we’re big fans of implants. Why? Because implants are placed down in the hole left by the tooth root and then your jawbone grows around the implant making it a part of your jaw, they behave basically like your normal teeth. That means you won’t have to change your diet to accommodate your implants, as you do with other options such as bridges.
The advantages of dental implants
- They’re comfortable — Because they become a part of your jaw, you won’t even feel your implants once in place.
- They look great —People can’t tell you have an implant because the false tooth on top looks just like your other teeth.
- They improve your speech — Dentures can slip and cause problems when speaking. And missing teeth can cause whistling issues when pronouncing certain sounds.
- Eat like normal — With bridges and dentures, patients have to be mindful of what they eat. Things like corn on the cob are usually no no’s. Not so with implants; eat whatever you want.
- Improved self-image — Missing teeth, especially in the front, can make a person avoid smiling or can make them try and keep their lips down when talking. Implants give you back your smile.
- Improved oral health — Implants replace a single tooth individually. Unlike bridges, which require shaving off part of the tops of adjacent teeth to make room for the anchoring crowns, implants don’t affect neighboring teeth. Plus, implants keep your adjacent teeth from moving to fill the gap left if you don’t replace your missing tooth or teeth.
- They last — With proper care, many implants can last for the rest of your life. They are by far the most durable replacement option.
- Convenience — Implants are just like your natural teeth, so you don’t need to worry about taking them in and out, as you would with dentures. And you don’t have to worry about eating certain chewy foods, as you would with a bridge.
If you’re missing a tooth or teeth, call us at Gentle Dental, (732) 549-5660, and let’s discuss dental implants.