Why Are Dental Implants Better for Your Oral Health Than Other Replacement Methods?
There are plenty of tooth replacement methods out there that all work very well. But if supporting your oral health is your goal, the best replacement you can choose is dental implants. If you're curious, this simple guide will help reveal some of the answers.
1. How Implants Work
In order to understand how dental implants can support your oral health, you need to know a little about how dental implants work. Dental implants don't sit on the surface of the gums like bridges and dentures do. Instead, they go beneath the surface like a real tooth. The implant extends from the surface of the gums all the way down to the point where it's touching the jaw bone. This makes a significant difference in a prosthodontic's ability to support your oral health.
2. Supports Gum Health
Dental implants act as a channel for pressure. When you bite down on a dental implant, vibrations and pressure travel through the implant itself. These vibrations and pressure are distributed through any tissue they touch, starting with the gums.
This is very similar to how real teeth work. Chewing on a real tooth or implant helps to stimulate the gums, encouraging good blood flow. Good circulation is a must for avoiding gum disease and the loss of neighboring teeth, so this is a great benefit. In comparison to other teeth replacement methods, bridges and dentures can't deliver pressure all the way into the depths of the gums because they don't extend down into them the way that implants do.
3. Improves Bone Health
Another way implants are helpful is through their ability to support the bones in your upper or lower jaw (depending on the placement of the implant, of course). After your implant is put in place, it binds to the bone that it's touching. The bone will grow new bone cells that form over the surface of the implant. This means that when you bite down on the implant, it sends vibrations and pressure into the bone the same way that it does your gums.
This is an essential process that keeps your jaw bone strong. Every bite you take with real teeth and implants will trigger a process called osteogenesis, or the development of new bone cells. Bones need to do this in order to stay strong and sturdy. But when a tooth is lost, and if it isn't replaced or replaced with bridges or dentures, this process is also lost.
If you want the best for your oral health, dental implants are the way to go. Contact clinics such as New England Dental Specialists of Norwood to speak with a prosthodontist and learn more.