With a nearly 98% success rate, dental implants have become the gold standard in replacing missing teeth. Dental implants are the most natural way to replace missing teeth and offer patients the security of long-term stability for their oral health and the overall appearance of their smile. Implants provide patients with a wide range of benefits that extend well beyond their teeth and gums.
Why Should I Replace Lost Teeth?
Even one missing tooth can compromise your oral health. When you’re missing a tooth, you’re more likely to lose more teeth. The remaining teeth are more likely to have problems with damage or tooth decay. Gum disease is more common as well. You’re overall more likely to suffer various different oral health conditions that you didn’t expect.
As soon as you lose your tooth root, the jawbone in this area begins deteriorating. The bone growth is stimulated by constantly using your tooth to chew and bite, and it no longer has this in that area. You lose bone density and your gums start to recede in that area. Your facial muscles and skin rely on bone structure to support them and keep your face looking full and healthy. Without bone structure, the face begins to sag in this area, prematurely aging your appearance.
Depending on the location of your missing teeth in your mouth, it can cause you issues with the appearance and function of your smile. In the front part of your mouth, you’re going to want to hide a gap in your smile when you’re laughing or speaking. Having a full set of teeth is important for speaking properly as well. You may develop a lisp or other speech impediment. Particularly with missing molars, it ca be hard to chew and digest food. You may not be able to get a balanced, nutritious diet when you can’t break down certain foods.
When there’s a gap in your smile, the teeth around it start to shift to try and fill in the gap. If you’ve previously had orthodontic treatment to straighten your teeth, this can reverse the effects of this. Your teeth will continue to move until you place a restoration to replace your missing tooth.
Missing teeth mean an uneven bite. When your bite isn’t even, the pressure doesn’t distribute properly. Certain teeth take on more pressure than others, and these teeth are more likely to chip or break. When your bite doesn’t come together properly, the jaw joint isn’t tracking correctly. It wears down the jaw joint, causing it to pop or click. Your jaw can get stuck in positions and be hard to open or close. Pain radiates from your jaw to your face, neck, and head. An even bite is important for your mouth.
The Benefits of Dental Implants
The benefits of dental implants reach beyond just teeth and gums. Dental implants can improve the quality of a person’s life. Missing teeth affect how patients speak, eat, and interact with others. Replacing missing teeth in a natural, comfortable way can help patients regain confidence in their smiles and in themselves. Unlike other restorations, you don’t have to worry about implants slipping or falling out when you’re in public. The implant anchors the tooth replacement in your jawbone.
Dental implants allow patients to enjoy a varied and healthy diet without restriction. Implants are stable and will not slip or move while a patient is speaking or eating. Implant-secured dental restorations can restore up to 100% of a person’s natural chewing and bite function, giving them back the ability to eat and speak in public with confidence. It benefits your oral and overall health to be able to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Dental implants are the only missing tooth replacement option that slows the recession of the jaw and can even help to stimulate natural bone regeneration. They replace the tooth root as well as the crown. Implants fuse with bone structure and act like a prosthetic root structure, adding support to the jaw and tooth alignment. Implants help to prevent the jaw bone from receding, a common side effect in patients who leave missing teeth untreated.
Because of this, implants last longer than other restorations. With a traditional bridge or denture, the jawbone continues to erode over time. This impacts the way your restorations fit and function. You’ll likely need to readjust or replace your restoration at least once in the lifetime of having it. We need to make sure you have a restoration that functions properly.
With dental implants, you don’t have to deal with as much upkeep and maintenance compared to other solutions. Removable dentures require messy adhesive to stay in your mouth. Special cleaning tools and products are required to ensure these are cleaned properly and free from bacteria. Bacteria buildup on your dentures can make you severely sick and can be life-threatening.
Request a Dental Implants Consultation Today
Santa Monica, CA periodontist Dr. Dall’Olmo has advanced training and education in the use of dental implants. Like many dentists, Dr. Dall’Olmo utilizes the latest technology and techniques to provide safe, effective, and natural-looking results.
Unlike other dentists, Dr. Dall’Olmo focuses his dental care on open and honest communication with his patients. He, as well as his dental care team, have created a pressure-free, positive environment where patients are able to freely make decisions about their own oral health care through thorough patient education.
Dr. Dall’Olmo believes in providing conservative dentistry that preserves and maintains the natural function and structure of the bite and jaw. Our dental implant treatment plans are personalized and handled completely in-house for consistent and quality results. Our complete dental implant services eliminate the need for additional specialists and help streamline the patient’s implant experience.
Our dental care team will help guide our patients through every phase of treatment, all the way through post-op recovery check-ups. Dental implants are Dr. Dall’Olmo’s first choice for replacing missing teeth because they promote natural function and provide long-term oral health benefits. Dr. Dall’Olmo is an experienced periodontist that also provides a number of dental services to patients in Santa Monica, CA.