Why Dental Implants Are Your Best Choice for Replacing Missing Teeth

It’s quite common to be missing teeth as an adult. In fact, research tells us that 178 million Americans are missing at least one of their teeth. The most common reasons for adult tooth loss are gum disease, dental decay or cavities, and trauma. So, if you’re missing some of your teeth as an adult, know you’re not alone.

Because tooth loss is so common, many options exist for replacing those missing teeth. While dentures and bridges have been common choices in the past, dental implants have begun to grow in popularity. Research estimates that 3 million people in the United States have dental implants, and that number grows substantially each year.

At Trump Village Dental in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, Vyacheslav Ripa, DDS, and our team have 20 years of experience with dental implants, and we want you to know why it’s the superior choice for tooth replacement.

Why you need to replace missing teeth

When you’re missing even one of your teeth, it can have serious repercussions for your oral health. Missing a tooth can also cause the following side effects:

• Difficulty chewing and swallowing, resulting in an insufficient diet
• Shifting teeth and bite changes
• Higher risk of more tooth loss and other dental problems
• Lowered self-esteem

Your jawbone can also start to deteriorate through a process known as bone resorption — a process that happens when your body starts to absorb unused jawbone. 

During your lifetime, your body is constantly in a cycle of absorbing old bone cells (resorption) and creating new ones (ossification). The only way your body knows to create new ones for your jawbone is when it’s stimulated through biting and chewing. 

Unfortunately, if you’re missing a tooth, your jawbone is no longer stimulated in that area. As a result, your body starts to absorb that area of your jawbone without creating new cells. The more the bone is absorbed, the more your facial structure changes. 

All these factors make it vital to replace all of your missing teeth.

So, why dental implants?

When envisioning a tooth, you probably think about only the crown — or what’s visible above the gum line. However, most of the tooth comprises the root, which hides underneath our gums. The root anchors your teeth to your jaw and stimulates that ever-important jawbone growth.

Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that offers the replacement of more than just the visible crown; they also offer root replacement, stimulating your jawbone and making new bone growth possible.

Dental implants are also convenient, comfortable, and durable, and they can boost your confidence and oral health.

Next steps

If you’re missing some of your teeth, it’s best to replace them sooner rather than later to offset your risk of jawbone deterioration. If you’d like to learn if you’re a good candidate for dental implants, contact our team to schedule an appointment. You can do this by giving us a call or by using our online booking tool today.