The biggest difference between most modern dental prostheses is their size, which depends on the number of teeth that each restoration is designed to replace. For example, a dental bridge works best for replacing individual lost teeth, while dentures are more appropriate for extensive or complete cases of tooth loss. However, there’s another important difference between conventional bridges and dentures and more modern ones. This involves the ways in which each type of restoration is supported, which only dental implants are able to improve by mimicking the way your healthy, natural teeth are supported.
Bite and chew your food comfortably
The main purpose of replacing your lost teeth with a dental prosthesis is to restore your whole and fully functional smile after losing teeth. This function mainly involves biting and chewing your food, which conventional bridges and dentures can do to some extent. However, because they lack the same supportive structures as your natural teeth (their roots), bridges and dentures can’t recreate the same level of functionality. Dental implants address this by mimicking the support that roots provide to your natural teeth in the form of lifelike, biocompatible, root-like posts. The posts anchor your prosthesis in place so that it can more securely bite and chew a wider variety of foods.
Smile more confidently
The more closely your dental prosthesis mimics your healthy, natural tooth structure, the more comfortable and securely it can perform. This not only translates into enhanced biting and chewing power, but also into greater confidence when you smile and show off your prosthesis. Dental implants ensure that your prosthesis won’t shift or move out of place when you speak, smile, bite, or chew, which can give you a level of confidence that traditional bridges and denture are unable to achieve.
Improve the rest of your oral health
The structural benefits that dental implants provide are significant, and they can lead to immediately noticeable enhancements in the function and feel of your dental prosthesis. Yet, the implications of replacing the roots of your lost teeth also extend to the long-term health and integrity of your jawbone structure, where your teeth roots are supposed to rest. Losing teeth roots can cause your jawbone to lose stimulation and, as a result, mass and density over time. The only way to address this is to reestablish this stimulation, and only dental implants can give your dental bridge or denture the ability to do so.
Learn more about the benefits of dental implants
With the support of dental implant posts, your restoration can do a better job of helping you regain your healthy, confident smile. To learn more, schedule a consultation with us by calling the office of Dr. Stuart Dexter in Prairie Village, KS, today at 913-362-8200.