Whether you’ve lost one or more teeth to deep dental decay, advanced gum disease, or a traumatic injury, the gaps in your smile can make it harder to eat the foods you like and leave you feeling less confident in your appearance.
While you have several tooth replacement options, dental implants are the only solution that restores full oral function and appearance and protects your long-term oral health.
Dr. Maria-Teresa Ioannou and our skilled team at Vida Dental Spa in Whitestone, New York, know firsthand why implants are the restoration of choice for most dentists and patients alike. Here, we offer five reasons they’re probably the best tooth replacement option for you, too.
1. Dental implants are exceptionally durable
Made from ultra-strong, biocompatible titanium, a dental implant is an artificial tooth root that’s surgically placed into your jawbone. Once your gum and jawbone tissues have healed, we complete the restoration with a custom artificial tooth (porcelain crown) that fits your bite and blends perfectly with your natural teeth.
You can expect your implant to be just as strong — or even stronger — than your natural teeth. Implants owe their exceptional durability to the bone-implant fusion process that occurs as your jawbone heals around the artificial root, effectively “cementing” its stability firmly in place.
2. Dental implants restore full functionality
When a dental implant forms a secure bond with your jawbone, it essentially becomes part of your mouth, much the same way any other substitute part (prosthesis), such as an artificial joint, becomes part of your body. Accordingly, a dental implant replaces a lost tooth in every sense, restoring full functionality. You can expect your implant to work just as well — or better — than your natural teeth.
Implants allow you to exert normal bite force, so you can continue eating all your favorite foods without worrying about how they might harm your dental work. And because implants can’t unexpectedly slip out of place like removable dentures, you never have to worry about embarrassing speech problems.
3. Dental implants look like your natural teeth
All dental restorations are custom-made, but dental implants take the art of restoration to the next level. Designed to fill each gap with precision, fit your bite perfectly, and flawlessly blend in with your natural teeth, implants are the ultimate cosmetic solution for missing teeth — one that can help you get your smile back.
Implants look so much like natural teeth that no one can spot your dental work. Implants restore a beautiful, natural-looking smile every time by creating a custom restoration that equals the size and shape of your missing tooth and matches the same shade of white as your natural teeth.
4. Dental implants keep your mouth healthy
Tooth loss doesn’t just diminish your smile; it also undermines your oral health in a variety of detrimental and far-reaching ways. Empty spaces in your mouth can:
- Allow adjacent teeth to shift
- Create misalignments in your bite
- Stress remaining teeth unevenly
- Make excessive wear more likely
- Increase the risk of dental decay
- Leave your gums prone to infection
Gaps in your smile are also unhealthy for your jawbone, which shrinks and becomes less robust without the stimulating presence of a tooth root. Left untreated, this type of progressive bone loss can change the shape of your jaw and alter the appearance of your face.
Because dental implants are the only restoration that fills smile gaps and stimulates underlying jawbone tissue, they’re the only solution that prevents all these problems and protects every aspect of your long-term oral health.
5. Dental implants have a high success rate
As the only dental restoration that looks, feels, and functions like your natural teeth, it’s not surprising that implants have an outstanding success rate of 98%. This exceptional predictability has made implants the gold-standard solution for missing teeth among dental professionals and patients.
Even better, implants are a long-lasting restorative solution that can, with good care, last a lifetime. But unlike removable dentures, implants don’t require special care to keep them in good shape; brush and floss properly every day, and see our team for twice-yearly dental cleanings and exams.
To find out how dental implants can restore your smile and improve your life, call or click online to schedule a consultation today with Dr. Ioannou at Vida Dental Spa in Whitestone, New York.