Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots used to support bridges, dentures, crowns or replacement teeth. People who have lost teeth due to injury, disease or some other reason usually opt for dental implants.
An implant doesn’t come loose like a denture, and is beneficial to oral health. To receive an implant, the candidate should have healthy gums and strong & adequate bone structure. The patient may require timely visits to the clinic to maintain oral hygiene, gum and bone health. Only when these structures are maintained, can implants be a successful long term alternative.
Implants have revolutionised oral health. Prior to implants, people with dentures had to follow many food restrictions as they were unable to chew many foods properly. This has completely changed with the advent of implants.
Advantages of Dental Implants
Improved Appearance and Comfort
Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. They are also designed to fuse with your bone and hence, become permanent. They need not be removed like dentures thereby reducing hassle and providing a comfortable experience.
Clear speech
Dentures can be poor fitting sometimes, causing them to slip out within the mouth, impairing speech. With dental implants, one need not be cautious while engaging in conversation, as it does not pose such a risk at all.
Easier eating
Sliding dentures make it difficult to chew with ease and confidence. Dentures also often come with a list of restricted foods. Dental implants do not pose any such problems. They are so much like your own teeth that you can chew on your favourite foods freely, without having to exercise caution.
Improved Self Esteem
With dental implants, you will naturally begin to smile more as you feel confident and happy. A good smile will also in turn boost your self esteem.
More teeth are retained and oral hygiene is improved
Dental implants don’t require alteration of nearby teeth, or reducing any teeth nearby, such as in case of tooth-supported bridges. More of your teeth are thus left intact. Individual implants enable ease of access in between teeth, thus improving oral hygiene.
Durability
Implants are durable and last many years. With good care, implants can even last a lifetime.
Convenience
Dental implants do not require messy adhesives to keep them in place, like in case of removable dentures. They do not need to be removed, which makes them convenient and when compared to removable dentures, also saves the awkwardness or embarrassment of needing to remove them in front of people.