For custom-designed replacement teeth that are supported by one or more dental implants, the benefits compared to more traditional restorations are many. Dental implants, which are designed to mimic the form and functions of healthy, natural teeth roots, can give your dental bridge or denture a level of stability that isn’t possible without them. Today, we examine what that means for your oral health, your bite function, and your restoration’s comfort and capabilities, and why these are among the most important benefits of dental implants.
1. Avoid the need to modify healthy teeth
Before dental implants became popular, the most frequent way to replace a single lost tooth was with a custom-designed dental bridge. This involved creating a lifelike tooth replacement, or pontic, and adjoining one or a pair of dental crowns to it for support. The dental crowns must be bonded to the healthy, natural teeth that are close to the empty space where the pontic will rest. This requires the modification of these teeth, known as abutment teeth, in order to accommodate the bridge’s supportive crowns. However, by replacing the tooth root with a dental implant, your lifelike tooth replacement can rest comfortably and securely without the need to rely on neighboring healthy teeth for their support.
2. Enjoy fewer or no restrictions on your diet
When you replace your lost tooth or teeth with a conventional dental bridge or denture, you can replace much of your bite’s ability to function and regain your own ability to enjoy many of your favorite foods. However, without a support system similar to your healthy, natural teeth roots, your restoration will be limited in the amount of bite pressure it can sustain without becoming damaged or forced out of place. With the support of dental implants, those limits will no longer exist, and you can enjoy more foods confidently and without worrying about damaging or moving your restoration.
3. Prevent the uncomfortable shifting of your restoration
Even when sticking to a diet that avoids particularly tough or sticky foods, a conventional dental restoration can still begin to shift and move along your dental ridge over time. There are several reasons for this, including natural wear on the restoration and, more significantly, the loss of mass and density in your jawbone structure. This loss is the result of diminished stimulation following the loss of your teeth roots, which causes your jawbone to shrink over time and your restoration to longer fit as it used to. Dental implants help prevent this in two important ways; by stabilizing your restoration with root-like anchors, and by reestablishing stimulation in your jawbone to prevent its loss of structural integrity.
Benefit from a dental implant-supported restoration
The benefits that come with supporting your restoration on dental implants can have long-lasting implications for its quality, and for the state of your oral health. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.