Missing
teeth affect more people than you think. Accidents, illness, tooth
decay, gum disease, genetics, and natural ageing can force you to
live without one, several, or possibly all of your adult teeth. Not
including wisdom teeth, your set of permanent adult teeth should
contain 28 teeth, yet adults between the age of 20 and 64 have on
average only 24.
If
you have struggled through life with missing teeth or
less-than-perfect dentures, you have a better option. Dental implants
attach directly to your jawbone and perform the function of normal
teeth. Here are three unforgettable ways dental implants will change
your life.
1.
You Can Eat Normally
Missing
teeth make it difficult to chew food and eat in a normal fashion.
Over time, you probably learned to avoid food that you cannot easily
bite off like apples and corn on the cob. You may shift food from
side to side as you chew to accommodate a lack of teeth. Or, you no
longer enjoy crunchy nuts or thick steak simply because you cannot
chew it well.
One
or more missing teeth can make a big difference in your quality of
life when you no longer relish food or must avoid many types of food.
Withdrawal from food in social settings can lead to anxiety,
depression, and isolation.
Fortunately,
dental implants allow you to again eat food in a normal fashion just
like natural teeth. Dental implants are strong enough to provide the
advantage to bite off food and then chew thoroughly and easily.
2.
You Can Speak Normally
Significant
tooth loss has a real impact on your ability to speak, especially if
you wear dentures to compensate for lost teeth. Teeth are responsible
for articulating many sounds in the English language such as t and
th. Without the structure that teeth provide, you cannot usually
produce the right sound and your speech alters noticeably.
Additionally,
dentures that fit poorly or move around often change the way you
produce speech or make it hard to speak clearly. Dentures also often
make undesirable and audible clicking sounds, which only increase
your discomfort and embarrassment.
Dental
implants function
like your original teeth and return your power of speech. You can
once again speak, sing, and perform any range of sound without shame
or fear.
3.
You Can Regain Your Self-Esteem
Your
smile signals your approachability to others around you. When you
miss any teeth, you probably feel like you cannot put your best face
forward. Sadly, a gap in your teeth may give other people the wrong
impression about you before they get to know you.
You
may choose to smile without showing your teeth, or hide them with
your hand. You may avoid social and public settings because you lack
self-confidence. Avoidance like this can affect your employment
opportunities and personal relationships.
A
great smile is strongly linked to higher levels of confidence and
self-esteem. Dental implants provide a better smile and a way to
regain lost self-worth and poise.
Dental
implants function like natural teeth. Because they hold a permanent
position in your mouth, you still brush and floss implants as you
would regular teeth. Your dentist wants to perform regular checkups
to make sure the implants fused properly to your jaw and are clean.
Remaining natural teeth receive normal dental treatment at the same
time to prevent future tooth loss.
If
you have missing teeth and seek a better option for improved quality
of life, call Michael G. Landy DDS. His caring staff will answer any
questions you have about dental implants and help bring you one step
closer to the smile you deserve.
