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Losing even a single tooth can be stressful and discouraging. Fortunately, there are more options than ever for replacing missing teeth and rebuilding your smile. Our team is proud to provide affordable dental implants in Arizona to help you enjoy a complete set of strong, functional teeth again.
We understand that choosing the best tooth replacement option for your smile can be difficult. This article reviews five key ways dental implants can help keep your whole smile healthier long-term.
1. They keep neighboring teeth from shifting.
Your teeth rely on each other for support. When a tooth goes missing, the surrounding teeth will shift or tilt into the gap over time. This can lead to other problems such as:
- Gum recession and exposed tooth roots
- Bite problems
- Teeth that are harder to keep clean
- Difficulty eating and chewing
- Loose teeth
- Further tooth loss
By providing a strong, permanent tooth replacement, dental implants stabilize the surrounding teeth and keep them from shifting, keeping your smile looking and feeling its best over time.
2. They prevent excess wear and tear on other teeth.
When you bite and chew, the force is spread out across multiple teeth. Each missing tooth increases the strain on the remaining teeth. Think of it like lifting a piece of heavy furniture with five people helping versus only three.
In addition to allowing your other teeth to shift, an incomplete bite also puts more pressure on your remaining teeth. This can increase the risks for cracks, fractures, and other injuries. It can also cause enamel to become worn down over time. If your teeth shift or tilt, these issues can be even more severe.
By restoring a complete bite, dental implants reduce excess strain on your other teeth. This helps to prevent damage and allows you to avoid expensive dental treatment needs in the future.
3. They reduce jaw strain.
Beyond wear and tear on your remaining teeth, an incomplete bite can also cause strain on your jaw joints. Because it’s more difficult to chew normally, you may need to move your jaws in abnormal ways when you eat. This can strain the muscles, ligaments, and cartilage involved in the jaw joints.
Your teeth also provide a stable resting position for your jaw. If you’re missing multiple teeth, it may compromise this stability and lead to the jaw closing further than it normally would. This can wear on the joints and even cause permanent damage as well as changing the shape of your face.
Dental implants restore needed stability to keep your jaw joints healthy and functional.
4. They prevent bone loss in the jaws.
In addition to supporting the jaw joints, tooth roots provide support for the jawbone itself. When teeth go missing, the body will break down the unused bone sockets that once surrounded the tooth roots. This is called jawbone resorption.
Unlike dental bridges and dentures, dental implants also replace the tooth root, supporting the jawbone and preventing bone loss in the jaws. This is one of the major advantages of dental implants!
5. They support better nutrition.
Missing teeth obviously make it more difficult to enjoy a balanced and varied diet. While dentures restore some chewing function, they don’t provide the same strength or stability as natural teeth. In many cases, this limits denture wearers to a soft diet and can impact your nutrition and overall health.
Dental implants restore 99% of normal chewing function. This means you can eat all your favorite foods again without limits, including:
- Salad
- Crisp apples
- Fresh veggies
- Nuts
- Steak and chewy meats
- Virtually any food you like!
Good nutrition supports better oral health by providing the vitamins and minerals your body needs to avoid issues like periodontal disease. It also improves your quality of life by allowing you to enjoy the foods you love comfortably.
A Permanent Tooth Replacement That Can Keep You Smiling
Our team at Dental Specialty Associates of Arizona understands that the cost of dental implants in Phoenix and Ahwatukee may make you hesitant to consider them. However, it’s important to consider that they can decrease your dental expenses over time by helping to protect your oral health and preventing other problems in the future.
We’re proud to provide affordable dental implants in Arizona, including sedation options to make your procedure as easy and comfortable as possible. If you’re looking for a permanent tooth replacement that can keep up with your lifestyle, schedule your consultation for dental implants in Phoenix or Ahwatukee today!
