Why Dental Implants Are the Superior Choice for Replacing Missing Teeth

Like 178 million other Americans, you’re missing a tooth and you want to explore your replacement options. Each year in the United States, nearly five million dental implants are placed, helping people to chew, talk, and smile with confidence.

If you want to learn why so many people are turning to dental implants, the team here at Baton Rouge Perio, led by Drs. Kenneth Markle and Jenny Herman, pulled together some of the many reasons why these replacement teeth are a superior choice.

Unprecedented stability

When you get a dental implant, we place a metal post into your jawbone. After the implantation, bone in your jaw grows up and around the implant, fusing it into place. For all intents and purposes, this implant functions much like the natural roots of your teeth, providing excellent stability.

So, instead of shying away from the corn on the cob or a juicy steak, you can dig in with confidence knowing that your replacement tooth is more than up to the task.

Preventing bone loss

When you lose a tooth and its roots, your jawbone registers the absence and ceases to rebuild bone in that area. When we place an implant, it mimics your natural roots and signals to your body that the area is still active. In response, your body continues to remodel the bone tissue.

This is an important point because when you start to lose bone in your jaw, the deficit can threaten neighboring teeth, causing them to loosen.

Maintaining your existing teeth

With a dental implant, we’re only replacing your missing tooth and leaving your neighboring teeth well enough alone. However, with some other types of restorations, alterations are made to neighboring teeth, affecting their shape and structure.

Easy cleaning

Once a crown is placed over your implant and bonded it into place, you take care of the replacement tooth as you normally would your other teeth. Simply brush twice a day, floss once a day, and rinse your mouth after meals (and don’t forget your regular dental cleanings).

A long-term solution

Since the implant is integrated into your jawbone, it provides a replacement solution that goes the distance. While you may have to replace the crown after 10-20 years, the implant should remain in position and readily accept the new crown. In this regard, a dental implant also makes economic sense since it doesn’t require replacement down the road like other options.

Ultimately, deciding which tooth replacement option is best is only a decision you can make, but we feel it’s important to have all of the information beforehand. There are times when an implant may not be a great solution, such as when there’s significant bone loss in the area of the missing tooth.

To determine whether you’re a good candidate for a dental implant and to learn more about this exceptional tooth replacement option, contact our office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to schedule a consultation.