6 Advantages of Dental Implants

Today’s dental implants are not your grandfather’s dentures. Modern dental implants look and feel like natural teeth. If you are thinking about dental implants, here are six huge advantages you need to know.

1. Keep Your Teeth and Jaw in Alignment

 If you have lost teeth due to decay or trauma, it can impact your smile, your speech, and your ability to chew. Without dental implants, your remaining teeth can also become misaligned. Dental implants help to prevent misalignment by fusing naturally to your jawbone, keeping your smile straight and healthy. 

2. Dental Implants Can Last a Lifetime

With proper oral hygiene and daily maintenance, you can expect implants to last 25 years on average. 

3. No More Cavities

Say goodbye to drillings and fillings! Because dental implants are made from titanium, they cannot get cavities. Instead, dentist appointments on will focus on gum health, and keeping your new teeth sparkling clean.  

4. Have a More Confident Smile

Having a few missing teeth can make smiling an embarrassing endeavor, which is no way to live! Dental implants will rejuvenate your smile and make you confident in social situations. 

5. Eat More Easily

One of the worst effects of missing teeth or dentures is that it can prevent you from enjoying favorite foods (corn, apples, nuts, and other crunchy, delicious treats). Missing teeth make also it difficult to chew. If you have dentures, there is a constant fear that they will come loose. Dental implants, on the other hand, work like natural teeth. Your ability to eat and chew will be fully restored, leaving you free to eat whatever you like.

6. No More Removing Dentures

Dentures need to removed every night for cleaning, while dental implants remain permanently. No more stress, fuss, or embarrassment over removing your teeth daily. 

Types of Dental Implants

There are two basic types of dental implants: miniature dental implants and conventional dental implants. Miniature dental implants are the latest in implant technology and have numerous advantages. 

Mini Implants vs. Conventional Implants

Miniature dental implants are made of titanium posts that are surgically set into the jawbone, mimicking the roots of your natural teeth. Next, the dentist adds crowns on top of your implants, or securely attaches dentures.

If you have lost most or all of your teeth, you also may have problems with bone loss. Because miniature dental implants are smaller, they anchor securely in place without needing as much underlying bone—unlike conventional implants, which are twice as long. Miniature dental implants do not typically result in bone loss, but conventional ones can. 

The smaller size of miniature dental implants also makes the procedure for placing them less invasive compared to conventional implants. Mini implants are shorter, so the dentist does not have to drill as deeply in order to place them. 

The procedure involves placing four mini implants into your jaw, and then securing dentures on top. This is much simpler and streamlined than conventional implants, and allows the dentist to replace an entire arch of teeth using only four implants, rather than placing implants for over a dozen individual teeth. Dentures secured with mini implants will not slip or fall out, and do not need to be taken out for sleeping. 

Conventional dental implants are around 4 or even 5mm in diameter, making them much larger than mini implants, which are only about 2.5mm in diameter. Dentists prefer using mini implants for front teeth, and conventional implants to replace molars. 

Caring for Dental Implants

Dental implants require regular oral hygiene just like natural teeth. To keep your mouth healthy and your implants looking white, follow these practices:

• Brush and floss daily. 
• Visit your dentist both before and after your implant placement, and for your annual check-up and cleaning.
• After your procedure, eat only soft foods for a period of time. 
• If you have any consistent pain, signs of infection, or other problems, notify your dentist immediately. 
• Do not smoke. Smoking can discolor your implants, lead to infection, and negatively affect your overall oral health. 

Dental Implants Little Rock

If you have any questions about the advantages of dental implants, Arkansas Family Dental can help you to explore your options.