When you have missing teeth, you might find yourself lacking in poise. After all, it can be hard to look charismatic or charming when there are gaps in your smile. Sometimes, this hit to your self-esteem can even lead to depression. However, there’s a way to help your smile and your self-assurance simultaneously: dental implants! With these prosthetic teeth, your mouth will see improvements that translate to a more upbeat attitude. To learn more, here’s a summary of three ways dental implants boost patient confidence.
They Restore Your Smile with Lifelike Teeth
Dental implants’ most obvious feature is that they fill in smile gaps with permanent replacement teeth. Unlike dentures or bridges, they fuse with your jawbone instead of just sitting on top of your gums. Combined with good crowning, this means they’re lifelike and can mimic natural teeth.
Once you adjust to them, you can easily show off your implants for gatherings, photos, and other events! You won’t have to worry about unsightly gaps or fake-looking artificial teeth.
They Help Your Face Look Younger
Once you start losing natural teeth, your jawbone begins shrinking due to lacking the stimulus those teeth provided. If left untreated, this process can lead to a facial collapse, causing your cheeks and mouth to look hollow. Needless to say, the latter would age your appearance dramatically.
Thankfully, dental implants can stop the jawbone loss caused by missing teeth. Because they fuse with the jaw and fill the sockets your old teeth left behind, they prevent still-existing bone from eroding and encourage new bone growth. As a result, implants will give your face a fuller, younger look that it wouldn’t have otherwise.
They Let You Eat and Speak Freely
Tooth loss often leads to difficulties in eating and speaking. Since it diminishes your chewing power, it usually keeps you from eating tougher foods. Furthermore, since it causes problems with your bite, it can make pronouncing certain words and syllables challenging.
Dental implants could solve both of these problems. Compared to dentures or bridges, their durability and permanence restore enough chewing force to let you eat your favorite meals. Plus, implants work enough like natural teeth to let you speak clearly and easily. They wouldn’t force you to “re-learn” how to talk like certain kinds of dentures do.
No one should have to live with insecurities related to missing teeth. Talk to your dentist to see if dental implants will let you face life with positivity and courage.
About the Author
Dr. Walter K. Kulick is a dentist in Coral Springs, FL, having earned his dental doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He’s studied dental implants for over forty years, six of which he spent working in a prosthodontic office. He’s also taught as a clinical instructor of prosthetics at the University of Maryland’s Dental School. Dr. Kulick currently practices as part of the Kulick Dental Group and can be reached at his website or by phone at (954)-341-0500.