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Thanksgiving isn’t far away, and that means that many families will be gathering to enjoy a meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole. While this annual feast is certainly a delicious occasion, tooth loss can make it difficult to enjoy many foods and possibly lead to issues like indigestion or malnutrition. Fortunately, dental implants can replace lost teeth with lifelike restorations that look and feel real. Here’s a brief reminder of the many reasons we have to be thankful for dental implants and all they do to keep people’s smiles pretty, functional, and healthy.
Dental Implants Restore Chewing Power
Chewing is one of the most important roles teeth play for a person’s overall health, and tooth loss can make it difficult to enjoy a tasty, diverse, nutritious diet. While traditional restorations like dentures and bridges can restore a significant amount of a patient’s chewing ability, these appliances often have difficulty handling tougher foods like raw fruits and veggies or meat on the bone.
Dental implants, on the other hand, are anchored securely in the jawbone, giving them the sturdy hold they need to handle crunchy, chewy, and fibrous foods. This allows many patients to enjoy healthier and more delicious diets than they would have with traditional restorations.
Dental Implants Preserve the Jawbone
After tooth loss, the jawbone begins to atrophy and recede due to lack of exercise, and traditional restorations like dentures and bridges do nothing to restore this important stimulation. If this problem is allowed to continue, the shrinking mass of the jawbone can pull neighboring teeth out of alignment, which can make them harder to clean and easier to injure and lead to further tooth loss.
Since dental implants are surgically placed in the jawbone and naturally fused with it through the natural process of osseointegration, they function just like real teeth during the chewing process. This gives the beneficial jaw the stress it needs to remain healthy, and strong and can even reverse the process of bone loss.
Dental Implants Rebuild Smiles
A person’s smile plays a crucial role in their quality of life. People who show off their grins frequently are generally seen as friendly, confident, and trustworthy by the people around them, which can make it easier for them to meet people, make excellent first impressions, win friends, and close sales. Unfortunately, people with missing teeth are often too shy to smile frequently, and this can take a toll on their personal and professional lives.
Thankfully, dental implants can beautifully restore lost teeth by supporting lifelike and comfortable prosthetic appliances such as crowns, bridges, and dentures. This can give a patient the confidence they need to smile generously and engage socially so they can enjoy a better quality of life.
Dental implants do a lot to preserve the health and happiness of many members of our community. Scheduling a consultation with your dentist can put you on the path to enjoying a beautifully complete smile.
About the Author
Dr. Bita Farhoumand earned her dental doctorate at the UCLA School of Dentistry and is a board certified periodontist. She is proud to be a member of the American Academy of Periodontology, the Northeastern Society of Periodontists, and the Virginia Society of Periodontists. Her office in Vista offers surgical and non-surgical periodontal treatments, tissue and bone grafting, and dental implant services. To schedule your dental implant consultation, contact her office online or dial (760) 470-4664.
