According to the most recent available data from the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), 84% of Canadians say they have good oral health. Cases of tooth decay have also decreased considerably throughout the country. However, 5.5% of the population still has untreated cavities, and even more (6.4%) are edentulous or have no teeth.
If you're also missing one or more front teeth, you may want to consider getting them replaced with front dental implants.
In this guide created by our team at Newmarket Dental Care in Newmarket, ON, we'll explore the benefits of getting a smile makeover through tooth implants and how they can improve quality of life.
Enhanced Smile
According to Verywell Health, smiling has many benefits, including helping you live longer, relieving stress, and elevating your mood. However, smiling may not be as easy for people with missing pearly whites, especially incisors (the front teeth). They may feel conscious because of their lack of teeth.
Implant dentistry can help address this problem by providing a long-term aesthetic and restorative dental solution to replace missing teeth. For example, front dental implants are teeth replacement options that mimic the appearance of your natural pearly whites. They fill in the gaps left by missing teeth, giving you a complete, natural-looking smile.
To ensure your complete smile will look natural, you and your dentist will choose a color for your tooth replacement from a color chart. Your dentist will help you pick the one that's closest to the rest of your natural teeth. They'll use this as the shade of the artificial tooth they'll prepare for the dental implant process.
Longevity
A dental implant is usually a three-part prosthetic device. It consists of the following primary components:
- A threaded post
- An abutment
- An artificial tooth
When you get implants, your dentist surgically places the threaded post, which acts as an artificial tooth root, into your jawbone. You will then have to wait a few months for the artificial tooth root to "osseointegrate" or fuse with your bone. The wait can be worth it, though, as this surgical process behind dental implants gives them their longevity.
Once integrated, the threaded post will be ready for an abutment. An abutment is a small connector made of a biocompatible material (meaning it's safe and friendly to the mouth tissues), like the threaded post.
One side of the abutment screws into the threaded post while the other attaches to an artificial tooth. If you're missing only one front tooth, your dentist may recommend a crown as the dental restoration option for the artificial tooth replacement.
Because a dental implant's threaded post fuses with the jawbone, it becomes a permanent structure. For this reason, an implant's artificial tooth root can last a lifetime with proper placement and care. The restoration part, however, would need replacing at some point, but quality dental crowns can last many years.
Restored Speech and Enunciation
When you speak, your tongue and teeth work together to form sounds.
For example, when you pronounce the "s" sound, you'd have to put your upper teeth down against the lower teeth. Then, you'd have to place the tip of the tongue lightly against the upper teeth's ridge before pushing air out. The front teeth restricting the air is crucial to making this sound.
Another example is the "th" sound. To produce this, you'd have to push the tip of your tongue against the back of your upper teeth.
So, when one or more upper teeth disappear, those sounds and many others (e.g., d, f, n, etc.) may become difficult to pronounce or distorted. Missing front teeth can also lead to lisping, slurring, and whistling.
By replacing your missing front teeth with dental implants, you could regain your ability to pronounce and enunciate words correctly.
Restored Chewing Ability
According to a study published on PubMed Central, over one in four edentulous Canadian adults said they avoided food due to mouth issues. Missing teeth, after all, can affect a person's biting and chewing abilities.
Removable dentures may help. However, they may become loose, considering they are not fixed prosthetic devices. Loose dentures may make eating more challenging and uncomfortable.
Front dental implants provide a solution because they are permanent and affixed. Quality implants allow you to enjoy your favorite foods and eat healthily again.
Remember: Proper nutrition is crucial for everyone, but even more so for older adults. As the Canadian Government points out, healthy eating promotes better health, lowers chronic disease risk, and prevents bone and muscle loss.
Dental Health Improvement
Another of the primary benefits and advantages of dental implants is their natural tooth-like function.
As mentioned above, an implant consists of a threaded post that goes into the jawbone, replacing a lost tooth root. In doing so, it also acts as a tooth root, stimulating jawbone tissue.
The jawbone needs stimulation and pressure to stay healthy and intact. When it doesn't get stimulated, it can start to deteriorate.
When this happens, the following problems may arise:
- Discomfort when biting and chewing
- Changes in the bite and facial structure
- Shifting or loosening of the remaining teeth
- Wrinkling around the mouth and sinking of the lips inward
- Increased difficulty in speaking
- Headaches and jaw and face pain
Dental implants can give the jawbone the stimulation it needs to stay healthy. By helping keep the jawbone intact, implants can help prevent or reduce the risks of unpleasant and painful symptoms tooth loss can cause.
Boost Quality of Life With Front Dental Implants
From enhancing your smile to restoring speech and eating abilities and helping improve your oral health, these are just some of the many benefits of front dental implants. Investing in these dental restorations may give you a healthier, higher quality of life.
If you're ready to find out if you're a good candidate for dental implants, our team at Newmarket Dental Care is happy to help! Our dental office is at 17906 Yonge #2, Newmarket, ON L3Y 8S1, Canada. We have served the York region for over two decades.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment!