Do you have a missing tooth or teeth and are tired of hiding your smile? It’s time to choose the best tooth replacement option – dental implants in Spokane!
A Missing Tooth is About More than Aesthetics
A missing tooth (or teeth) affects the quality of your smile – this is true. However, it can also affect your overall oral health. It can affect how you talk and eat, and tooth loss also promotes bone loss, or resorption, at the site. This weakens your jaw, possibly leading to more serious health problems.
Surrounding teeth shift or float into the space, as well. Teeth shifting can lead to crooked teeth, further impacting your smile. This shifting of teeth can also increase the chances of temporomandibular disorder (TMJ), which causes pain in the jaw and other uncomfortable symptoms.
These health complications can be avoided by receiving Spokane, WA, dental implants. Your experienced South Hill dentist will best determine if dental implants are the right option for you.
1. Dental Implants Resemble Real Teeth
Firstly, dental implants are the closest thing to real teeth you can get. They look like and function like natural teeth. Unless you tell people that you have implants, they likely won’t notice the difference. All they will see is your beautiful, straight smile!
2. They Are Fully-Functional
Unlike some tooth replacement options, dental implants have no dietary restrictions. You can eat the same foods you’ve always enjoyed. They are a permanent fixture in your mouth. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about your dental implants slipping out of place or falling out during a meal.
Whether you want corn on the cob, hard nuts, or strawberries, you can eat to your heart’s content. Dental implants allow you to chew as you would with your normal teeth and smile without restraint or embarrassment.
3. Improve Your Overall Oral Health
Dental implants enhance your smile. However, they also help with overall oral health. They anchor into your jawbone. Therefore, implants stimulate your gums and jaw. This keeps them healthy.
Secondly, they don’t need support from your other teeth. This places less stress on your natural teeth, decreasing the risk of damage or tooth decay. A tooth gap can become a breeding ground for bacteria due to the risk of food being trapped there. This can increase your risk of gum disease. Spokane dental implants can help prevent unnecessary tooth decay and disease, making them a win-win.
4. Easy to Maintain
As they are fused to your jawbone, like real teeth, oral care is the same as your natural teeth. Clean and maintain your dental implants as you would your regular teeth. This means brushing twice a day and flossing daily. Don’t forget the mouthwash rinse!
Your dental implants can last a lifetime in Spokane, WA. That is if you care for them through daily oral hygiene practices.
5. Prevent Premature Aging
If you’ve been wearing dentures for years or walking around without tooth replacement options, your jaw’s bone mass has likely decimated immensely. When you lose bone mass in your jaw, it takes a toll on your appearance. Oftentimes it can make facial wrinkles worse, cause your face to sag, lose volume, and even cause a drooping neck, also known as turkey neck.
When you replace your missing teeth with dental implants, the South Hill dental implants help you grow and maintain the bone mass in your jaw – allowing you to keep or restore your youthful appearance. Dental implants will make your smile look better and help you look younger!
6. Fix Your Bite
Losing a tooth can completely throw off your bite, especially when you don’t replace the tooth. When you don’t replace a tooth, it’s normal for the rest of your teeth to shift in your mouth to cover the empty spot. This causes your teeth to move out of place, throwing off your bite.
When your bite is off, oftentimes this leads to TMJ, which causes extreme jaw pain, and headaches, among other painful symptoms that can greatly impact your daily life. If your TMJ is left untreated, this can lead to more serious health problems – including diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, or stroke.
Dental implants in the neighborhood of South Hill are the perfect solution to preserving your bite and the original position of your teeth. Since the implant is placed in your jaw, it acts like a natural tooth, not allowing nearby teeth to move because it’s no longer empty. Prevent bite problems by opting for dental implants in Spokane, WA.
7. Improve Your Confidence and Self-Esteem
Most patients don’t realize how much dental implants can improve their self-confidence. Whether you’ve lost a single tooth or retaining your dentures with dental implants, replacing your missing teeth with dental implants gives you the feeling and functionality of a natural tooth.
Your restorations will look completely natural and function like your old teeth. This helps patients feel much more confident about their tooth loss. You will be ready to smile, socialize, and live fully.
Risks to Consider with Dental Implants in Spokane
As with anything in life, dental implants have pros and cons.
Some disadvantages to the dental implant treatment in South Hill may include the following:
- There’s a chance of gum infections, sinus complications, and nerve damage with dental implants. After all, this procedure falls into the “oral surgery” category.
- Some may consider the process of getting dental implants lengthy. Depending on each patient’s case, it can take approximately four to eight months.
- Not all insurance plans cover this type of treatment.
- You may need to perform a bone graft before your implants. This is if your jawbone is unable to support the titanium posts.
That said, it’s important to talk to your Spokane dentist. They can help you consider dental implant pros and cons to enhance your smile and oral health. They’ll be able to offer information, answer questions, and provide the advice you need to decide.
Considering Dental Implants in Spokane, WA? Book An Appointment, Today!
If you have a missing tooth (or teeth) that you’d like to replace, Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins will discuss it with you and get you started on a better, healthier smile. They can provide information on dental implants and other tooth replacement options.
Please contact our office online or call us at (509) 532-1111 to book your appointment. We look forward to helping you achieve a whiter, brighter smile for years to come!
