Missing teeth don’t just affect your appearance. They can cause embarrassment, decrease your confidence, and most importantly, affect your oral health. Missing teeth can affect the way you chew and speak. Teeth in the vicinity of the missing one can shift and create more problems. There are several options for replacing missing teeth—a complete denture, a partial denture, a dental bridge, and the most effective option—dental implants.

Why Dental Implants Are So Effective

The structure of an implant is the same as a natural tooth. It has a root form, made from titanium, and a crown, or replacement tooth. The root form is surgically implanted in your jawbone, so this tooth replacement will look, feel, and function as a natural tooth. People won’t be able to tell that you had a tooth replaced.

When a tooth is missing, the jawbone shrinks in that space, because it is no longer needed to support the tooth. When all of your teeth are missing, your entire jawbone shrinks. Insufficient jawbone is not able to support your facial muscles. Your face will begin to have a sunken or shriveled appearance. The end result is facial collapse. The presence of implants helps prevent jawbone shrinkage and facial collapse.

INDIVIDUAL IMPLANTS
Implants can replace one or more missing teeth. After the root form heals, a porcelain crown will be attached to it. The normal function of the tooth will be restored and people won’t be able to tell that your tooth was missing. Unlike a dental bridge, no work needs to be done on your adjacent teeth. As a disadvantage, this method of tooth replacement is more expensive than a partial denture and a dental bridge.

IMPLANT OVERDENTURES
Complete dentures may initially fit well, but in time—as the jawbone shrinks—they will slip around in your mouth. They can even fall out and cause embarrassment. An unstable denture can interfere with your speech and make chewing more difficult.

Dentures can be supported by implants. After root forms are surgically implanted in your jawbone and they heal, your dentures can be secured to them. Snap-on dentures can have as few as two implants. Tiny grooves are put in the bottom of your dentures, allowing them to snap onto the implants. The more snaps there are, the more secure your dentures will be.

Your chewing efficiency will improve, you will no longer have to worry about those embarrassing moments, and the dentures will feel more like your natural teeth. Of course, having your dentures supported with implants is more expensive than just having complete removable dentures.

MINI IMPLANTS
The diameter of a mini implant is ⅓ the size of a standard implant, but as few as two of them can be used to secure your dentures. Although, they lack the stability of standard implants, they will keep your dentures in and give you added confidence.