Understanding the Benefits of Dental Implants

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Understanding the Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental implants are hailed as the gold standard for replacing missing teeth, and for good reason. They offer a reliable solution and have proven remarkably successful in the long run. Not only do they provide excellent esthetics and enhanced chewing and speaking abilities, but they also prevent an inevitable consequence of tooth loss: bone loss in your jawbone. Bone loss in your jaw can give rise to a lot of other problems and complications down the line. Keep reading to learn more about these problems and discover the wide variety of ways dental implants can benefit you.

How can dental implants benefit us?

Although the process of getting dental implants is somewhat lengthy and expensive compared to other restorative options, its long-term benefits far outweigh the downsides. Our team of highly skilled and experienced dentists works hard to make sure that your dental implant surgery procedure goes smoothly and provides you with new teeth that will last you a lifetime. If you need replacement teeth and are still unsure about getting dental implants, we have listed below some of the advantages they can provide you with. To find out if you are a suitable candidate for implants, you can contact us here or pop into one of our clinics located in Côte des Neiges and Hampstead, Montreal, for a consultation.

Preserve jawbone health and facial appearance

Dental implants do more than just hold your artificial teeth. They prevent your facial esthetics from deteriorating after you’ve lost a tooth. Let’s dive a little deeper to see how that happens.

Your tooth root is anchored into your jawbone, where it provides stimulation to maintain healthy bone tissue around it. When you lose a tooth, there is no longer any force being exerted on that part of the bone. As a result of lower levels of stress there, the body adapts by breaking down the bone tissue and resorbing some of the bone in that area. This is a natural consequence of tooth loss, and most of this bone loss happens during the first six months following a tooth extraction.

With less bone left to support your facial muscles, they begin to sag, leading to wrinkles and other signs of facial aging. Dental implants can prevent this from happening by reducing bone loss and maintaining the structural integrity of your jaw. If you’ve already lost a lot of bone, your dentist may suggest a bone graft to provide you with adequate bone support.

Provide a natural-looking solution and enhanced self-confidence

There are many tooth replacement treatment options available today, but none provide results as aesthetically pleasing and natural-looking as dental implants. And let’s face it—a dental treatment is no good if it leaves you unsatisfied with the way you look. We know the difference a perfect smile can make to enhance your appearance and boost your confidence. That is why, at Blanc Dentaire, we strive to provide you with a treatment that not only makes you feel great but also makes you look your best!

A metal post is anchored deep into your jaw bone, where it fuses strongly with the surrounding bone (osseointegration) and replaces your missing tooth root. As the implant is embedded in your jaw, it prevents changes in your bone mass and serves to preserve and improve your facial appearance. It fits into your bone just like your natural tooth root does and supports restorations, such as a replacement tooth, a bridge, or dentures. As they match the shade of your natural teeth, they blend seamlessly with the rest of your teeth, providing you with a smile so beautiful and uniform that you won’t stop grinning!

Dental implants look and feel just like your natural teeth, equipping you with a confidence that is incomparable to that achieved with other tooth replacement options. They have proven to be a real game-changer in the field of dentistry, improving not only your looks but also your general oral health.

Offer an improved chewing function

If you are missing teeth, you might not be able to chew on hard foods, such as apples, candy, some fruits and raw vegetables, or even meat. We know how frustrating it can be not to be able to enjoy your favorite foods. Thanks to dental implants, you can now cross that off your list of worries.

An implant is screwed tightly into your jaw and hence provides a solid and stable foundation to support your new teeth, ensuring they don’t rock or slip in your mouth with the application of a bite force. With a stable restoration in place, you can safely eat whatever you like without having to give it a second thought.

A research study showed that people’s biting ability increased after receiving implant-supported overdentures compared to conventional dentures (which are placed directly on the gums). This suggests that getting implants can improve your ability to chew better, and that means you can enjoy anything you desire without the risk of your crown breaking or your dentures falling out!

Prevent the shifting of remaining teeth

When a tooth is missing, the neighboring teeth have a natural tendency to tilt and drift toward the empty space, eventually filling up the gap. This can alter the way your teeth come into contact with each other and affect your speech and chewing ability. The presence of an implant can prevent this condition and maintain the overall health of your teeth.

Preserve the health of the adjacent teeth

In contrast to other tooth replacement options, such as dental bridges, which require the adjacent teeth to be trimmed down to support the restoration, dental implants are drilled into your jaw bone and do not need the support of the neighboring teeth. They function as independent structures and offer a conservative tooth replacement option.

As the implants do not rely on the neighboring teeth for support, they do not jeopardize the health and integrity of your remaining teeth. This minimally invasive approach helps preserve the healthy tooth structure of the adjacent teeth and minimizes the need for invasive dental work, thus ensuring your overall dental health.

Improved speech

Your speech is influenced by how air interacts with your teeth when it passes through your mouth. Any changes in your dentition, such as the loss of one or more teeth, can disrupt your normal speech pattern and cause difficulty in pronouncing certain sounds.

Dental implants can help overcome this problem to a great degree as they mimic your natural teeth when you speak. When implants are used as a tooth replacement option, they provide you with a speech pattern that closely resembles your own. They fill in the gaps and allow air to pass through them, much like your original teeth.

Implants are also anchored into your jawbone, so they don’t tend to move or rock inside your mouth, ensuring a stable dentition. Traditional dentures, on the other hand, lack stability and may slip inside your mouth, causing slurring of some words.

Ease of maintenance

While dental bridges can fill the gap of a missing tooth, cleaning the area underneath them can be quite a challenging task. If not cleaned thoroughly enough, plaque buildup can lead to the formation of cavities and increase the risk of gum disease in these areas. On the other hand, dental implants are easier to clean and, hence, far easier to maintain than dental bridges or dentures.

Implant maintenance requires little more than what you normally do to take care of your teeth. Brushing twice daily and flossing or using interproximal brushes to clean between the teeth is usually sufficient to keep your implants in good shape.

Here are some additional tips for effective home care of your implants:

  • Using the right toothbrush:

A medium-sized manual brush with a short head is recommended for cleaning dental implants. This is ideally preferred as implants are much more susceptible to damage by excessive force.

  • Using the right brushing technique:

It is very important to use the right brushing technique to protect your implants from the accumulation of plaque, food debris, and bacteria. Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle to your teeth so that its bristles can clean along your gumline and the tooth surface. Use a circular motion to brush all surfaces of your teeth slowly. This technique of toothbrushing is known as the Modified Bass Technique.

  • Accessing hard-to-reach areas:

Tufted brushes can be used in areas where your ordinary toothbrush can’t clean properly. They can be bent easily to make it easier for you to clean areas that are otherwise hard to reach, such as the inner surfaces of your lower back teeth.

  • Flossing:

Using a floss can also help you effectively clean between your teeth and prevent food accumulation. Take care to floss very gently to avoid damage to the gums and implants.

Deliver increased comfort

Dental implants are fixed in place as they fuse naturally with your jaw bone. This helps you bite, chew, and speak with as much ease and comfort as your natural teeth provide.

Studies show that implant-supported restorations positively influence patients’ lives in terms of comfort, satisfaction, and improvement in overall quality of life.

Promise long-term durability and functionality

According to a 2017 study, the success rate of dental implants has been shown to be 90%-95% over ten years. Another study conducted in 2021 observed the life span of 10,871 implants over the course of 22 years and found their survival rates to be exceptionally high.  At three years, the implants exhibited an astonishing 98.9% survival rate; at five years, 98.5% survival rate; and at ten years, 96.8% survival rate. At 15 years, the survival rate was 94.0%.

For comparison, the survival rate of dental bridges over ten years is 89%-91%, and that of dentures is 81%. The results clearly imply that implants are a superior restoration option compared to other treatments.

Guarantee increased patient satisfaction levels

Numerous studies have consistently reported a high satisfaction rate with dental implants compared to other treatment modalities. A study published in 2021 assessed the levels of satisfaction in patients with dental implants ten years after placement. Those individuals all seemed to be very satisfied with the functionality, including speaking abilities, chewing comfort, stability, ease of cleaning, and aesthetics provided by dental implants.

The Bottom Line

Dental implants provide a multitude of benefits that can significantly improve your oral health and positively influence your quality of life. If taken good care of, they can last you for years to come.

Regular dental checkups, monitoring, evaluation, and maintenance are key to keeping them in great shape and ensuring their longevity. The importance of oral hygiene habits that include brushing and flossing cannot be stressed enough. Your dentist might recommend professional care, such as cleanings, to supplement with effective home care.

If you have any questions or need further information about dental implants, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to assisting you in any way we can. Contact us here to schedule an appointment and come in for a consultation today. Our team of highly skilled dentists will walk you through all the available tooth replacement options and create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

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Sarah Taylor

Obstetrics & Gynaecology