The decision to get dental implants is a big one. When you’re missing a tooth, filling that gap with a natural-looking replacement is, of course, an attractive option, and so is opting for something permanent over dentures if you plan on having all your teeth extracted. But we’re not going to pretend there aren’t some challenges to navigate, too.
Implants do need to be surgically inserted. There’s some recovery time to navigate between appointments, and dental insurance doesn’t often cover the full cost. With a few exceptions, however, facing those short-term challenges is worth it for the long-term benefits that come with dental implants.
The decision to get dental implants requires you to weigh short-term “pain” against long-term “gain.” Here are some of the key benefits to consider when you’re asking, “Are dental implants worth it?”
Self-Confidence
One of the most under-appreciated aspects of dentistry is just how much a person’s teeth affect their self-confidence. When you’re missing a tooth, you may subconsciously avoid opening your mouth as much when you smile. You might think about your mouth and how people perceive it when you should be focusing on a conversation or personal interaction. Even if you’re not fully aware of these behaviors, they affect the way you navigate social and professional situations – and not in a good way.
A dental implant can restore your self-confidence, enabling you to stand taller, speak more openly, and focus on what really matters when conversing with others. This renewed self-confidence can have a lifelong positive impact on your career and relationships. The discomfort that comes with implant surgery will wear off, but the self-empowerment will only continue to grow.
Comfort When Eating
With implants, you’re trading a few weeks of discomfort for a lifetime of comfort when eating. Once the implant site is healed, you’ll be able to eat whatever you want. You won’t have to worry about chewing on the opposite side, cutting favorite foods into smaller pieces, or getting pieces of food caught around a denture or bridge. Eating will feel simple and seamless, just like it did when you were younger and had all of your natural teeth.
To address a common misconception, the dietary restrictions you have to follow after implant surgery are not that bad. Most patients are able to eat solid foods the very same day, although they do have to use some caution. You’ll be back to your normal diet in weeks, not months, and rumors that you have to follow a liquid diet or sip smoothies for weeks post-surgery are simply not true. For the vast majority of patients, the minor, short-term dietary restrictions are worth the total freedom that comes later.
A Natural Smile
Are you worried a single implant might look funny? Maybe you’re wondering if others will be able to tell the tooth isn’t real. These concerns are especially common among patients who have a front tooth or a premolar replaced with an implant.
Here’s the good news: once your implant site heals, nobody (other than a dentist) will be able to tell you have an implant. They look exactly like natural teeth. Dr. Labrada will color your implant to match your natural teeth, making it even more difficult to distinguish implants from other teeth.
Need multiple implants or a whole smile of implants? Remember, implants are meant to be permanent. This is one of the key ways that implants and dentures differ. You don’t have to insert your smile in the morning – it stays right there day and night! This is especially freeing for patients who travel for work or live with family; they can take comfort in having a natural smile at the ready any time they need it.
Bone Preservation
It is faster to replace a missing tooth with a bridge than with an implant. So why don’t dentists recommend that approach more often? One answer has to do with bone preservation.
Bridges and dentures only replace the visible portion of your tooth, known as the crown. Yes, they can be inserted non-surgically, making them a “faster” tooth replacement option than an implant. But in this case, faster does not always mean better. An implant replaces both the root and the visible crown of your tooth. While that’s the reason an implant takes longer to insert and heal, it’s also the reason why implants are often better for your mouth in the long run.
The root of your tooth puts pressure on your jawbone, and your jawbone relies on that pressure as a stimulus to keep it strong and healthy. Once the root of a tooth is removed and your jaw loses that stimulus, the bone starts to deteriorate. But replacing the missing tooth with an implant can restore that stimulation, preventing your jawbone from deteriorating over time. Dentures and bridges don’t do that; most patients with these restorations experience some loss of bone structure over time.
There are rare cases in which a patient is not a candidate for an implant, making a bridge or denture(s) the better choice. But if your jawbone is healthy enough (or can be made healthy enough) for an implant, it’s usually the healthier choice from a clinical perspective.
Long-Term Durability
If the series of appointments necessary for a dental implant seems daunting, keep this in mind: once you’re done, you’re done. A dental implant can last a lifetime. You won’t need yearly appointments for fitting and resizing like patients with dentures often do. Plus, you won’t have to worry about prongs or cement deteriorating as you might with a bridge.
Implants also don’t require any extra care. You just brush and floss around them like you would a natural tooth. There’s no removing, soaking, or remembering to pack a special case. Once you’re healed, you can go back to your normal dental care routine and treat your implanted tooth just like the others.
Occasionally, we’ll have a patient who has had an unpleasant experience with a bridge or a denture. Maybe they’ve had to endure frequent repairs or adjustments, and so they’re hesitant to face the same with an implant. We can assure you that there is a night-and-day difference when it comes to durability. If you’d like to leave behind the annoyance of dentures or bridges, the answer is not to leave the gap empty – it’s to get an implant.
If you’re missing a tooth or teeth, we encourage you to consider dental implants as one of the best tooth replacement options. While there are some short-term challenges to consider, like cost and recovery time, these are mere bumps in the road when compared to the long-term benefits dental implants have to offer. Dr. Labrada has helped countless patients restore their smile with implants, and is also happy to refer more complex cases to a periodontist or specialist if needed.
Contact Orange City Modern Dentistry to schedule a consultation. We’re happy to tell you more about the cost of dental implants that Orange City residents can expect. We can also provide more personalized insights into implants as a long-term dental care investment that supports your physical, mental, and emotional health.