Dental Implants: Why They Make a Good Choice

It seems that no matter how much oral health care improves, there will always be tooth loss due to decay and injury. Gum disease remains a significant public health problem. Most of this is entirely preventable, but there are cases where not even the best modern medicine could have conspired to save a tooth. Regardless of the cause, however, the treatment options often remain the same. Dental implants are among these options, and many patients are turning to them for tooth replacement. Here are some of the reasons they make a good choice.

Appearance

One of the biggest advantages to dental implants is that they are nearly indistinguishable from natural teeth. This is particularly important to anyone who has lost a "visible" tooth, meaning one that can be seen when they smile. While perfect tooth matching might not be as essential for a molar, it certainly doesn't hurt.

Speech

Most patients find it is easier to retain a natural speech pattern with dental implants than is possible with dentures. While good fitting dentures can be easy to deal with, it is just as common to be fitted with a poor fitting application. With partial dentures, there can be some degree of slipping regardless of the fit. This forces the patient to be somewhat cognizant of them when they talk, which can alter the way they sound. With a tooth replacement that is permanently rooted to the bone, there are no such concerns and speech should not be altered.

Eating

Of course, for most people the primary concern when it comes to tooth replacement is function. This is where dental implants really shine. Their construction and application gives them every bit of the strength and durability of your natural teeth. In fact, in some respects they are stronger than your natural enamel. They certainly aren't susceptible to cavities and decay. They won't slip around and cause other similar problems the way dentures can.

Improving Health

There are a number of concerns that come along with tooth loss, beyond just the loss of that particular tooth. Without that tooth in place, the other teeth can begin to shift sideways to fill in the gap. This can have terrible consequences for your appearance and function. Bone loss in the jaw can result from a missing root. This in and of itself can cause a change in your appearance. Dental implants replace the root and the tooth, which eliminates these concerns.