The replacement of missing teeth is critical to staying healthy. However, you have options when restoring one or more lost teeth: traditional dentures and bridges, and implant-supported dentures, bridges, or crowns. Restorations supported by dental implants offer several advanced benefits over their traditional counterparts.
Does Not Alter Remaining Teeth
Bridges and partial dentures rely on the surviving healthy teeth in order to be fully supported. Unfortunately, this leads to those same teeth being permanently altered by those restorations: bridges rely on crowns being placed onto otherwise healthy teeth, and partial dentures have clasps that often wear down the teeth to which they attach.
An implant-supported crown or bridge can replace the tooth without wearing down the remaining teeth in the smile. The dental implant is an artificial tooth root that stabilizes the restoration it supports. By receiving an implant restoration, you can replace lost teeth and protect the health of remaining teeth.
Better Stability
Full and partial dentures are effective restorations but have difficulty staying in place. Full dentures are particularly notorious for this, as they rely on the natural suction of the palate, as well as dental adhesives, in order to stay in place. Partial dentures can slip out of place as well if the clasps wear down the supporting teeth. Not only do unstable restorations cause discomfort, but make biting, chewing, and speaking difficult.
Dental implants provide a much more stable platform for your dentures, preventing these issues. The artificial tooth root allows even removable overdentures to bite with a similar force to that of your natural teeth.
Supporting the Whole Oral System
Losing teeth goes beyond simply having one less tooth. When the jaw bone has less roots to support, it begins to shrink. This resorption process causes an appearance of premature aging and leaves the remaining teeth more likely to be lost. If you wear dentures as a tooth replacement, the speed at which resorption happens will necessitate constant reworking of your prosthetic.
Dental implants give the jaw bone a new root to support. As such, restorations reinforced by implants are able to prevent the cosmetic, restorative, and overall health concerns resulting from jaw resorption. Implant supported restorations do not merely replace your smile; they restore the entire mouth.
Contact Us Today
Bull Valley Dentistry provides dental implants in McHenry, IL, and all surrounding communities. Dr. Dano can both place the implant posts and add your implant-supported restoration. Call us today and schedule an appointment if you would like to learn more about dental implants.