You may have heard about them, but you may not be sure what they are.
Dental implants aren’t just some new fad in modern dentistry. They revolutionized restorative dentistry.
Thanks to implants, we can give patients like you teeth replacements that look, feel, and function like a brand-new set of natural teeth. Our patients in Fort Myers and North Naples, FL have been amazed by how their implants have improved their smiles and their overall quality of life.
To understand why and how, keep reading. Then, call (239) 594-8817 to schedule a consultation with our dentist, George A. Hoop, DDS. He will be happy to answer any questions you have about implants, and he can explain how you can get some for yourself.
Eat What You Want
Almost daily, we hear from a patient or patients who have become frustrated with their dentures. They slip and slide, and as a result, they’ve had to give up eating many of their favorite foods.
We like food, so we understand why eating things that you want to eat is important for your quality of life.
By getting implants, you can keep eating the things that you want to eat. You can get a steak cooked just the way you like. You can eat steamed veggies. You can bite into an apple without any worries that your teeth much get pulled out.
And maybe best of all — you don’t have to fool with denture adhesives!
Implants or mini implants replace the roots of your lost teeth. They can be used to make dentures, dental bridges, and dental crowns secure, stable, and strong.
From a practical standpoint, you’ll be able to eat as well as someone with the full set of healthy teeth.
Do Something That’s Good for Your Health
Being able to eat anything you want isn’t just good for your taste buds. It’s also good for your health.
Nutrition experts recommend eating a diet that includes a variety of foods. That way you are getting a variety of vitamins and minerals. Plus, you can eat whole food rather than just the processed kinds.
When you are limited to eating soft foods, you may not be getting all the nutrients you need. In fact, Tufts University determined in a study that adults with dentures ate diets that were low in 19 different nutrients compared to people with healthy teeth.
Since your permanent teeth aren’t doing to grow back, your next best option is to get implants or mini implants to anchor your dentures to your jawbone. Since this enables you to eat anything you want, you also are more likely to eat the kinds of foods that will keep you healthy for a long time, too.
You may be thinking you could just blend food together into some kind of smoothie. That might work in the short-term, but do you really want smoothies for three meals a day?
Besides, you need to stimulate your jawbone to keep it healthy, too. You do that by biting and chewing into foods that require a little effort, like chicken, carrots, and corn.
The pressure from your bite force is what stimulates your jaw to create new bone tissue. This is necessary to stop bone loss as old tissue is resorbed by your body.
& Protect Your Smile
If you still have some of your natural teeth, you should try to keep them.
That’s more likely if you get an implant-supported bridge or crown. Since your implant encourages ongoing bone growth in your jaw, you won’t be losing bone tissue. Without the implant, bone loss can put more of your teeth at risk.
If you leave an empty space in your smile, another problem can occur as well. Your nearby teeth may “drift.” This will alter the appearance of your smile. It also can affect how well you are able to bite and chew, and in time, it could affect the alignment of your jaw. All of these changes can put more of your teeth at risk as well.
With implants in place, your replacement teeth will look and function like natural teeth. This will prevent bone loss, drifting, and other problems that can affect your beautiful smile.
Want to find out if implants are right for you? Start by contacting either of our offices by calling (239) 594-8817 or filling out our online form.
Make an appointment with Dr. Hoop, and see for yourself what a difference dental implants could make in your life.