Top 5 Reasons People Consider Dental Implants

Did you know implants can have a major impact on your mental health? Beyond a simple tooth replacement, implants can help you regain your confidence and oral functionality quickly, improving your quality of life. In fact, one study found that people were unhappier and struggled with self-consciousness more before getting implants. 

Here's what you should know about dental implants and why people consider the procedure.

1. Prevent Shifting Teeth

Many people think of our teeth as stationary parts of our mouth, but this isn't always the case. Your teeth will shift little by little throughout your lifetime. Your family dentist keeps tabs on these movements and can help adjust them if needed.  

However, when you lose a tooth, the teeth around them often shift to fill the gap. This shift can sometimes happen slowly over months or even years. Shifting teeth can appear unsightly or crooked and can also impact your bite. Dental implants help fix the gap to treat and prevent shifting teeth. 

Though shifting teeth may seem like a minor cosmetic issue, they can wreak havoc on your oral health. Shifting and crooked teeth are more challenging to clean than straight teeth, which means they can offer hiding places where bacteria can thrive, making you more prone to tooth decay and gum disease.

2. Improved Nutrition

Some patients with missing teeth have trouble eating certain foods, especially hard foods. This can make getting the nutrients you need difficult and reduce your quality of life during aging. Being able to chew your food correctly is also crucial for your digestion. When you struggle to chew your food properly, it can make it harder for your body to absorb nutrients from the foods you consume. Dental implants can ensure that you not only get the nutrients you need but can continue to enjoy the foods you love.

3. Avoid Jaw Deterioration & Preserve Your Facial Features

Your teeth don't just attach to your jawbone; they also help keep it healthy. When you lose a tooth, the pressure and stimulation on the correlating part of your jaw disappear, which can cause your body to reabsorb part of your jawbone. You may have trouble eating, speaking, or even getting implants or dentures later in life with a receded jawbone.

In addition to bone loss in your jaw, a missing tooth can also cause bone loss around your face. Without support from all your teeth, your muscles and soft tissues can deteriorate, causing your face to look sunken or collapsed. 

4. Maintain Your Speech

Pronunciation can be difficult without all your teeth. You may struggle with certain phonetic sounds depending on which teeth are missing. 

Choosing between dental implants or dentures offers different options here. Where dentures can help, they can sometimes slide around. Implants, on the other hand, allow you to speak as you usually would.

5. Restore Your Confidence

Getting a dental implant after an extraction is a great way to improve your confidence and self-esteem if you feel embarrassed about a missing tooth or gap in your smile. Instead of struggling to hide your missing tooth, you can fully restore your smile with an implant that looks like one of your natural teeth.

Speak with Dr. Phil the Dentist to Learn if Dental Implants Are the Right Choice!

Are you interested in getting a dental implant or implants after a tooth extraction or filling an existing gap in your mouth? Don't hesitate to contact the team at Dr. Nasralla's office in Comox.

We're proud to offer compassionate dental care to Comox Valley residents, and our goal is to give our patients something to smile about. Contact us today to learn about implants or schedule an appointment with Dr. Phil the Dentist!