It is understandable to expect your permanent teeth to last your lifetime. The sad fact is many adults have lost at least one tooth by the age of forty. Our teeth are vulnerable to the effects of oral bacteria and other factors, and tooth loss may occur in a number of situations, from gum disease to injury. For many decades, missing teeth have been replaced with custom-made dentures or dental bridges. As dentistry has evolved, however, we have gained new and improved ways to address tooth loss.
Dental implants may just be the best treatment for replacing teeth for most of our patients from Redlands, CA and surrounding areas. Most people make ideal candidates for this permanent restorative process, regardless of age or number of missing teeth. Implants can replace a single tooth, several teeth, or serve as an alternative to conventional bridges and dentures. Our patients experience a number of benefits from implant treatment.
Function
Implants are tiny posts made from titanium. After their precise insertion into healthy bone tissue, implants become fused into the structure, gaining permanent stability just like natural teeth. Patients who replace lost teeth with implants are able to eat all types of food and have no special care requirements to keep implants healthy. Oral hygiene remains an important task, as gum disease could threaten the longevity of implants.
Confidence
Implants are appealing due to their stabilization within the jaw structure. This design goes beyond tooth replacement and addresses the root that is lost along with a tooth. Conventional tooth replacement often relies on suction between the gums and the appliance, leaving much to chance. Dentures are known to be somewhat unreliable, sometimes sliding out of place when they shouldn’t. With dentures, it is often necessary to choose foods carefully, and to be extra mindful when speaking, laughing, or smiling so that the appliance does not slip or fall out. Because implants are stabilized the jaw just like natural teeth are, there is no chance that embarrassing situations will occur due to an appliance coming loose.
Comfort
Dentures may rub against gum tissue when the mouth is moving. The irritation that many denture wearers feel from their appliance leads them to smile and talk less, or remove their dentures often. A solution to this problem is to have a denture stabilized by a few dental implants. With as few as four implants on an arch, a denture appliance will gain incredible support to remain in place, as it should.
Many more benefits come from tooth replacement with dental implants. To experience them all for yourself, contact Pure Gold for your consultation with Dr. Vines.