What Does Your Investment in Dental Implants Get You?

Not many dental patients consider their oral health treatments to be an investment in their future health and wellness.  When you need a comprehensive dental restoration to replace missing teeth, however, it’s essential to think about how your treatment choice will affect your everyday life. Will you be able to eat all the foods you love? Will your smile look natural? Many patients’ first and only concern is cost of care. While this is certainly important, consider your teeth replacement choice as an investment that will pay dividends in health, happiness, and comfort over the years.

Consider what your investments in available treatments may return:

Full or Partial Removable Dentures

These prosthetics are popular for their affordable cost and can help restore the appearance of a full smile. Unfortunately, however, these restorations aren’t permanent and need to be fixed in place each day. If you wear a partial denture, there is a metal framework that attaches to surrounding teeth. For full denture wearers, paste is used to suction the denture to an arch.  Throughout the day, denture wearers often find that their replacement teeth loosen or become uncomfortable and diminish their ability to bite and chew. Over time, the metal framework of partial dentures can negatively impact anchor teeth and full dentures can rub on and irritate soft tissue.

Fixed Dental Bridges

Bridgework is a more sturdy restoration, compared to partial dentures, as they are cemented in place. Bridges can replace one missing tooth, or small groups of teeth, but are not recommended for total tooth loss. Patients who choose a dental bridge can enjoy improved biting and chewing ability, but must be careful to clean beneath their prosthetic each day to prevent decay and damage to surrounding teeth. It’s also important to note that bridges need to rest on surrounding teeth to be properly bonded in place. Anchor teeth are buffed to accommodate the bridge, which requires the alteration of otherwise healthy tooth structure.

Dental Implants

Compared to bridges and dentures, implants come with an elevated initial cost. However, implants prove to offer more health benefits and are lower maintenance over time. Implants do not rest on soft tissue or other teeth, so there is no negative impact on healthy oral structures. Because implants are rooted in bone through surgical placement, your new teeth can provide oral function that is similar to your own, natural teeth. This also allows your implant to stimulate healthy bone density for better overall dental health. Implants are versatile and can be used to replace one tooth or even all of your natural teeth in an arch.  Implants are one of the few restorations that can last a lifetime with proper care.

Your investment in dental implants provides for the best in long-term comfort, oral function, and oral health. With implant supported teeth, you can enjoy a renewed smile that is as close as possible to your own teeth. If you have questions about implants, call Dr. Uldrikson for more information about your treatment options.