While dentures and bridges have been completing smiles for over one hundred years, they are imperfect solutions. That is because they only replace the crowns of teeth — the visible portions above the gumline. Without replacing a tooth root, valuable tissue stimulation is lost.
Dental implants restore both the crown and the root of a lost natural tooth. It’s a system that more closely resembles the cosmetic and functional aspects of teeth. It turns out that it’s a versatile system too, able to adapt to many tooth loss scenarios.
In Metairie, Louisiana, the dental implant specialists at Metairie Village Dentistry, led by Dr. Lisa Wyatt, are here to help you with your tooth replacement options. When you know more about how implants work, we think you’ll agree it’s the obvious choice to replace natural teeth. Today we discuss five reasons why dental implants are the best tooth replacement option.
Your teeth and jaw have a mutually supportive interaction that might surprise you. The actions of biting and chewing wiggle your teeth in the bone sockets of your jaw. While that may sound like a weakness, it’s actually a benefit since the motion stimulates the turnover of jawbone tissue, keeping it strong and healthy. While you can still bite and chew with dentures or bridges, you’ll lose bone mass in your jaw over time. The root replacement of an implant restores bone stimulation for improved jaw health.
No matter what tooth replacement system you choose, the forces of eating remain constant. A bridge or denture system struggles to remain stable against the stresses that eating creates. However, a dental implant typically uses a three-part system: the implant, the abutment, and the crown. Imitating the biodesign of a natural tooth, an implant provides similar strength.
Bridges and partial dentures use surrounding natural teeth as support. That means the support teeth must absorb more force. That can lead to premature wear and tooth damage. Dental implants support themselves and won’t interfere with natural teeth.
The obvious use for dental implants is a one-to-one replacement for a lost tooth. However, implants open up a versatile range of options for tooth replacement. A single implant can support more than one crown in some situations, and you can use two implants to support additional crowns in a fully implanted bridge solution. There are even options to use implants with dentures to keep them secure.
In terms of appearance and strength, dental implants are the gold standard when it comes to tooth replacement. We can match your implant crown to your natural teeth while restoring the feel and function of a natural tooth with a long-lasting implant.
Call or click to book an implant consultation with us at Metairie Village Dentistry today.
