Dental implants lead to happier lives? Yes, it’s true and that’s not an exaggeration. We’ve treated patients with missing teeth right here at Bradford Young and seen what difference dental implants in Allentown can make in a person’s life.

The Consequences of Missing Teeth

When you consider the consequences of having one or more missing teeth, then the overwhelming advantages of dental implants seem less surprising. First, of course, are the emotional and psychological side effects. You may only have one tooth missing, but you know people aren’t looking at all of your remaining teeth—they’re looking at the hole in your smile whenever you open your mouth. That can be devastating to some people, and may even be a huge obstacle in social as well as professional circumstances.

Then there are the nutritional considerations. Obviously, your teeth are critical to maintaining a healthy diet that includes a variety of nutritious foods. However, even one missing tooth can force you to eliminate some foods, in particular fresh fruits and vegetables. Finally, as if having a missing tooth weren’t bad enough, this can also lead to other oral health problems, such as gum disease, drifting teeth and eventually an uneven bite. All in all, it’s not hard to see why tooth loss can make a person unhappy.

Get Happy with Dental Implants

Dental implants are probably the closest any tooth restoration can come to looking and functioning like a natural tooth. The reason is that a dental implant takes the place of an entire tooth—both the root and the crown. Other replacements (dentures, partials, and bridges) merely rest over your gum tissue. As such, they may do a good job of recreating the look of your natural teeth, but they fall short of replicating the structure.

This structural advantage is what gives dental implants the edge over other tooth replacement options. Implants are surgically set in your jawbone. Made of the biocompatible metal titanium, these implanted posts fuse with surrounding bone tissue in order to establish a firm foundation for your eventual tooth restoration—a porcelain crown for one missing tooth or an implant-retained denture or partial for several or an entire arch of missing teeth. And just like a tooth root, the implant stimulates healthy new bone growth, so you’re less likely to have that sagging facial appearance that commonly happens with extended tooth loss. That is certainly something to be happy about!

Call about Dental Implants Today

For more information about dental implants, or to schedule a consultation, contact your dentist in Allentown at Bradford Young Family & Cosmetic Dentistry.