3 Surprising Facts About Dental Implants
If you’re missing teeth, you’re probably considering several tooth replacement options. Full or partial dentures are common choices for people with multiple missing teeth, whereas patients missing only one tooth might consider a bridge. However, there is one option that works whether you’re missing one tooth or a number of teeth: dental implants. While dental implants have been around for a while, many dental patients don’t know much about them or have misconceptions about them. Take a look at some surprising facts about dental implants that you may not know.
One Implant Can Support Multiple Teeth
You don’t need one implant for each missing tooth. A few can support many teeth.
Patients that are missing multiple teeth often mistakenly believe that implants are not for them. It’s easy to see why you might not think that implants are right for you if you need all your lower teeth replaced, for example. Installing a separate implant for each tooth would certainly be an excessive amount of surgeries, not to mention very expensive. However, there’s good news – dental implants don’t have to be installed individually.
Your dentist can install a full set of top or bottom teeth with as few as four dental implants. If you don’t need a full set but do have several teeth in a row missing, you may only need one dental implant to hold several new teeth in place. This means that replacing multiple missing teeth with dental implants is definitely a valid option.
Dental Implants Are More Affordable Than You Think
Often patients reject the idea of dental implants without giving it much consideration because they believe that dental implants will be too expensive. It’s true that you’ll pay more upfront for dental implants than for other tooth replacement options, but in the long run, they may be the more aordable option.
Other tooth replacement options, like dentures, only last for a few years before they need to be replaced or repaired. Chances are that you’ll need to pay for several replacements or repairs over the course of your lifetime. When it comes to dentures, you also have to factor in the cost of buying denture cleansers and adhesives on a regular basis. Dental implants, however, should last for the rest of your life. You take care of them by brushing them just the way that you already brush your natural teeth. When you take a long view, implants may actually cost you less.
Dental Implants Are Good For Your Health
The implant’s titanium “tooth root” is good for your jaw bone health.
Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that allows you to retain all or most of your bite force. That means that you’re able to chew your food thoroughly and your diet isn’t limited by your ability to chew. This helps you maintain a healthy and nutritious diet.
What’s more, implants use titanium posts to replace the tooth root, and these posts have the ability to stimulate the jaw bone, just as a tooth root does. This stimulation is what prevents your jaw bone from losing bone density. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that helps to protect your jaw bone.