Are you thinking about getting dental implants in Long Island? Although many people think of dental implants as the ultimate luxury when it comes to cosmetic dentistry, there are actually some very compelling reasons everyone should consider dental implants if they are missing teeth. Here are five signs you need dental implants, and how your Long Island periodontist can help you to change your life.
1. You Are Embarrassed By Your Smile
Do you ever hesitate to smile, laugh, or talk around people who don’t know you? Do you hate taking family pictures because of missing or damaged teeth? Being embarrassed by your smile is reason enough to at least think about getting dental implants.
Dental implants are artificial teeth that are anchored into your natural jawbone tissue. After this area heals, a false tooth is cemented onto the implant, restoring form and function to your smile. Dental implants can be used to replace teeth exactly as they were, or used to completely transform your look. Dental implants mimic the color and opacity of the rest of your teeth, so they blend right in. In fact, most people can’t tell dental implants apart from your normal teeth, which helps people to smile, eat, and talk confidently again.
2. Your Jawbone Is Starting To Change Shape
Unfortunately, missing teeth can affect more than just the way your smile looks. Teeth are held in place by strong ligaments that pull against your jawbone as you talk and chew. When teeth go missing, the jaw tissue doesn’t receive this stimulation, and the bone actually starts melting away, being reabsorbed by your body.
Although most people assume that this process occurs very gradually, jawbone tissue actually melts away pretty quickly. In fact, research has shown that jawbone tissue can lose as much as 25% of its width within the first year after tooth loss and then an additional 4 millimeters over the next few years. This bone loss causes all kinds of problems, including making it hard to place dental implants in the future as well as changing your face shape. When the jawbone melts away, the lower half of your face can start to look loose, changing your facial contours.
Dental implants halt bone loss, helping you to keep looking like yourself. Also, since implants preserve the jaw, they also help you to keep the surrounding teeth strong and stable.
3. You Can’t Seem To Climb the Corporate Ladder
Does it seem like you are constantly passed over for promotions at work? It might be because of your teeth. Living with severely damaged or missing teeth can make you look unkempt, which can alter other people’s professional opinion of you. Research has shown that people tend to see what they expect to see, which means that subtle issues like missing teeth can have a major impact. In some social experiments, people tended to assume that people who had damaged smiles were less trustworthy and more likely to commit crimes.
You only have seven seconds to make a good first impression, which is why having a beautiful smile is so crucial for your career. Having a clean, white, healthy looking smile shows your attention to detail and makes you look like a true professional.
4. You Have Teeth That Are Cracked Or Broken
Sometimes teeth can become so badly damaged that they simply can’t recover. For example, if your teeth are severely fractured, a crown might not repair the problem. In these instances, the damaged tooth might need to be extracted and replaced with a denture, partial bridge, or dental implant. Because dental implants are a permanent replacement and can last a lifetime, most people opt for these innovative restorations. Dental implants are a healthy, beautiful alternative to your natural teeth. Newer immediate-load implants can even be placed in a single day.
5. You Find It Hard To Talk and Chew
Missing or damaged teeth can make it exceptionally difficult to talk or chew properly, which is another compelling reason to consider dental implants. In fact, missing teeth have been directly tied to malnutrition in seniors, since it is harder to eat healthier foods like crunchy fruits, vegetables, meats, and whole grains.
Think carefully about how you talk and chew. Do you ever struggle to pronounce words or shy away from certain foods because you know that they will be difficult or painful to eat? If so, dental implants are the solution you’ve been looking for.
If you think that dental implants might be right for you, contact an implant dentist in Long Island today. Your doctor will evaluate the health of your teeth and gums to determine whether or not you are a candidate for implants. You won’t believe how natural dental implants look and how comfortable they feel.