Dentures and all the issues that go with them are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Instead of being fitted for dentures that slip around inside the mouth, many patients opt for dental implants at Cornerstone Dental Center. Implants stay put and look and function just like real teeth which is why they’ve become so popular over the past few years.
Dental implants1 do what dentures simply can’t do: they look and function just like the teeth that are missing. Though patients who choose to go with dentures often must give up the foods they love the most, dental implant wearers can continue to eat what they’ve always eaten without feeling self-conscious or worrying that their dentures will fall out.
Dental implants allow people to continue living their lives on their own terms which is a vast improvement over the dentures of the past. At Cornerstone Dental Center, we regularly fit patients with dental implants so that they can continue to eat, speak, and smile as they always have without having to worry about any of the issues that denture-wearers contend with.
Quality of Life
Though there are many benefits to dental implants over dentures, one of the most important things to consider when deciding between these two options is how dentures can impact a person’s quality of life. Because dentures are only held in place lightly with adhesives, people who wear them often change the way that they move their facial muscles in order to hold them in place, keep them in the mouth, and to hide the fact that the dentures are there at all. This means that denture patients tend to smile less which can actually affect the patient’s overall mood and attitude toward life. With dental implants, patients can smile as they’ve always smiled and talk as they’ve always talked. The teeth look and feel just like real teeth and they’re firmly held in place by titanium rods that function like roots. Patients who may have had dental issues like cavities or a number of root canals are often relieved when they get implants because their dental issues go away. As a result, quality of life is positively impacted by dental implants.
Appearance
No one will know that you have dental implants. They look so much like your real teeth that most people would be shocked to learn that they aren’t permanent. In fact, sometimes, dental implants look better than the real thing! The dental implants are designed to fuse with the bones in the jaw to create a super-strong foundation for the crowns so they’re held firmly in place even while eating.
Speech
Traditional dentures often fit poorly and as a result, patients who wear them have trouble pronouncing their words properly. When dentures slip and slide around inside the mouth, patients feel self-conscious and tend to speak less, mumble, or sometimes even slur their words to avoid having the dentures pop out of the mouth by accident. Dental implants, in contrast, are secured in the mouth via screws that fuse securely to the jaw bone which means that patients can eat, smile, kiss and talk just as they always have.
Comfort
Comfort is important to us at Cornerstone Dental Center. Because dental implants are attached securely to your jaw bone, they’re as comfortable as your real teeth. Dentures, on the other hand, can cause wear and tear to the bone in the jaw which can cause a slow disintegration of the bone tissue over time. Changes in the bone tissue caused by wearing dentures can lead to accelerated aging in the face, a problem that doesn’t exist with dental implants.
Eating
There’s no contest between dentures and dental implants when it comes to eating! Chewing is difficult and uncomfortable with dentures. Adhesives often fail to hold the dentures in place which can be both embarrassing and unpalatable during a meal. But dental implants work just like your own teeth which means that you can continue to eat your favorite foods confidently and enjoy eating meals socially without the risk of embarrassment that can come from wearing dentures.
Self-Esteem
Losing teeth used to be a major cause of concern particularly in terms of self-esteem, but dental implants have made it possible for patients to maintain their smile with crowns that look just like their original teeth. We take self-esteem and self-image concerns very seriously at Cornerstone Dental Center because how you feel about yourself and your appearance can have an important impact on your life. Dental implants allow patients to feel confident in their work, in social settings, and at home.
Dental Health
Implants are an improvement on patients’ oral health because the patient’s healthy teeth don’t have to be reduced or altered to support the implant. And because the implant crowns can easily be removed, access to the remaining, living teeth is enhanced which ultimately improves dental health. Unlike bridges, dental implants aren’t supported by adjacent teeth, but rather, they’re fixed to a new, synthetic “root system”. These oral health improvements can translate into long-term enjoyment from implants.
No More Cavities or Root Canals
If you’ve struggled with dental issues for years, dental implants can provide a welcome relief from things like cavities and root canals in the teeth that have been replaced with dental implants. And after the dental implant procedure is complete, patients have a full set of teeth that look as good (if not better) than the real thing!
Durability and Convenience
Implants generally last for a number of years and in fact, with proper care, they can last a lifetime! They’re the only type of dental restoration that can preserve healthy bone tissue and in fact, spurs bone growth in the jaw. Dr. Chu from Freedom Dental adds, “Other treatments may seem slightly cheaper to begin with, but the investment in dental implants2 is a smart decision because of how successful and effective they are.”
In addition to being durable, dental implants are also convenient. Dental implant crowns can easily be removed from the mouth, but they stay in place when you want them to. There’s no need for messy adhesives to keep them in place which is one reason why they’ve become so popular in recent years. Today, over 3 million people in the U.S. have implants and these numbers increase by 500,000 each year. At Cornerstone Dental Center3, we work with a number of patients each year who choose dental implants over dentures because of their various benefits that allow patients to continue living a productive, high quality of life.