Why Implants May Be Preferable to Dentures for Younger Individuals

You aren’t even 40 yet but you’ve already lost a few teeth. This situation can be very frustrating because missing teeth can affect your dental health in a variety of ways. And while you think that dentures could be beneficial, you may want to consider dental implants instead because they provide many of the same benefits but have others advantages to consider.

Improves Your Dental (and Overall) Health

When you lose a tooth at any age, the surrounding teeth may suffer from damage. For example, the shape of the jaw could sag, which may put excessive strain on the rest of the teeth in your mouth. Even worse, a missing tooth may make bacteria invasion easier, which could affect the health of your gums and trigger other unpredictable health issues.

For instance, a person with diabetes may suffer from worsened symptoms if their mouth has an excess of bacteria. This reaction occurs because bacteria causes inflammation in your mouth which can then complicate your ability to utilize insulin. And though the reasons why the connection aren’t yet clear, excessive gum disease caused by bacteria may trigger heart issues, including higher blood pressure and strokes. So a healthy mouth really does lead to a healthy body.

Protect Your Jaw from Damage

If you have missing teeth, those gaps will cause pressure that may alter the shape of your jaw which can cause further health problems. Thankfully, a dental implant can help avoid this problem because it takes the place of the missing tooth and keeps your jaw structure strong.

Dentures also provide extra support that will keep your remaining teeth healthy, but you need to lose a significant number of teeth before you can get them installed. Rather than pulling out otherwise healthy teeth for your dentures, you can have a dental implant installed for the one or two missing teeth in your mouth.

Requires Less Maintenance

Dentures provide strong support for your jaw but require maintenance that you may not want to perform. For instance, you need to maintain the supporting braces, soak your dentures, and get them replaced when they wear down. This kind of maintenance may be unappealing to people who don’t want to do a lot of work to keep their teeth healthy.

Thankfully, a dental implant can avoid this problem because of its relatively low-maintenance status. For example, all you need to do is brush the implant — the way you do with other teeth — and wash out your mouth with dental cleansers. These steps should kill the bacteria in your mouth and keep your implant clean and robust for years after installation.

Creates Aesthetic Improvements

When your teeth start to decay and need replacement, they may turn yellow or even black. This unappealing look can cause issues with your personal appearance and may create personal difficulties with friends and even romantic partners. Thankfully, implants can improve your aesthetic appearance and provide other benefits to your dental health.

For example, an implant looks more like a normal tooth, becomes part of your jaw bone, and doesn’t have a change of falling out. This creates an improvement in your smile that appears natural and attractive to others. And if you maintain your implant properly, the implant may last for many years without needing to get replaced or repaired.

Work With Dental Experts for the Best Results

If you’re missing a tooth or two and you want to keep your jaw strong and healthy, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Crest Hill Family Dental to learn more. We’re skilled at working with people from all walks of life and have helped young individuals like you get the implant that you need to keep your mouth and jaw healthy.