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Dental Implants: 5 Reasons Why They Are Your Best Solution for Replacing Missing Teeth

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Dental Implants: 5 Reasons Why They Are Your Best Solution for Replacing Missing Teeth

Dental implants are a popular choice for replacing missing teeth, and over the past decade or so, that popularity has grown and grown. In the United States alone, more than 2 million people opt for implants every year to replace their missing teeth, improving not only their smiles, but their oral health and overall health, too. 

At Tomase Dental CareTimothy Tomas, DDS, offers several options for replacing missing teeth in patients at his Toledo, Ohio, practice, including state-of-the-art dental implants. If you’re missing one or more teeth, here are five reasons why you might want to consider dental implants.

1. Dental implants feel — and look — more natural

Implants are designed to look, work, and feel like natural teeth. The implant itself is a post that’s implanted in your jaw. Like a natural tooth root, the post secures a crown or “artificial” tooth, using an attachment called an abutment. Once the implant is embedded in your jawbone and the crown is secured to it, your new tooth will look and feel just like a healthy, natural tooth.

No one wants to lose their teeth, but having a replacement option that feels more natural can go a long way toward helping you feel confident after tooth loss. And of course, the crown can be shaped and tinted so it blends perfectly with its neighbors.

2. They’re easy to care for

Dentures require some special care to keep them clean and fresh. Brushing and soaking are regular parts of that routine, and, typically, that means when you go to bed, you leave your teeth in a container for soaking.

Dental implants are cared for with regular brushing and flossing, just like you care for your natural teeth. You don’t need any special equipment, containers, or soaking tablets. What’s more, they stay in your mouth when you go to bed — which can be very good news for your bed partner.

3. They won’t slip or cause sores

Dentures are designed to fit securely over your gums, but even so, they can still slip and slide — even with adhesives. Not only is that embarrassing, but when dentures slip, they can rub against your cheeks, your gums, and the roof of your mouth, eventually causing sore spots. 

Without prompt care from your dentist, those sores can cause serious infections. Regular adjustments to the way your dentures fit can help, but they can’t eliminate the problem.

Dental implants are secured to your jawbone, so there's no risk of slippage. That means you don’t have to worry about sore spots, and you can feel lots more confident when you go out to eat with friends.

4. They can help maintain jaw health

Your jaw bone is constantly replenishing itself, swapping out old bone tissue for new tissue. It’s a process that’s stimulated by your tooth roots. 

Once those roots are gone — as they are in tooth loss — the stimulation is gone, too, and the bone replacement cycle slows down dramatically. That’s why when you wear dentures, you may notice your jaw bone getting thinner, and you need frequent adjustments to keep your dentures secure.

Since implants are embedded in your jaw bone, they act like a natural tooth root to stimulate that bone replacement cycle. Not only can that improve the strength of your jaws, but it also could also help prevent additional tooth loss.

5. You can eat what you want

With dentures, you’ll need to avoid certain foods, including very hard foods that could cause damage. Most people also avoid foods that require a lot of biting, like corn on the cob or apples, because these foods can cause your dentures to slip out. Sticky foods can cause the same problem.

With dentures, you also run the risk of having morsels of food get caught under your dentures or your plate. Not only is that uncomfortable, but it also can increase your risk of developing painful sores.

Because implants are secured to your jawbone, you don’t have to worry about restrictive diet rules. There’s no risk of “slippage,” and no plate to catch food and hold it prisoner, either. 

Learn more about dental implants

Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth or an entire arch — all your uppers or all your lowers — via an implant-supported denture. As with every treatment he provides, Dr. Tomse takes plenty of time to talk with you about all your options for tooth replacement, so you can enjoy all the benefits of personalized care and treatment.

To learn more about dental implants and how they can help improve your confidence (and your oral health), call 419-670-6537 or book an appointment online at Tomase Dental Care today.