Missing teeth are not a problem faced only by older Americans. In fact, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons cites that nearly three-quarters of people age 35 to 44 are missing at least one tooth. There are numerous reasons people might be missing one or more teeth, including trauma, decay, or gum disease. Whatever the reason, there are options available today that can give you back your smile and restore the function of your teeth.
Dentures as a Replacement for Missing teeth
Dentures are one of the most common ways to replace teeth that are missing. “False teeth” have been around for a long time. Their quality has gotten better over the years, so this is an excellent option for many people. There are still caveats with dentures. They can slip or move out of place while wearers are talking, eating, or laughing. Often this makes people self-conscious. Unfortunately, this also limits the food many denture-wearers can comfortable eat.
Another issue with dentures is that they don’t prevent “facial collapse.” Facial collapse is what occurs when teeth are missing and the body no longer sends nutrients to the jawbone. What happens is that the jawbone will shrink over time and people develop a sunken-in look that makes them look older. This also means that dentures have to be adjusted through the years since the jawbone of wearers will change over time.
The Dental Implants Alternative for Missing Teeth
Dental implants are considered to be the best option available for replacing missing teeth. Because they are permanently placed into the jawbone where the tooth root was, there is none of the slipping or moving that is found with dentures. They not only act much like the missing tooth, but they also look virtually the same as the missing tooth. People with dental implants do not have to worry about restricting their diets either because the implants will not budge.
Facial collapse is prevented with implants because they stimulate the jawbone similarly to how the natural tooth would, so nutrients flow to the area and the jawbone remains strong.
Find Out More About Dentures and Dental Implants
If you would like more information about dentures versus dental implants in Metairie, Oak Family Dental is just a phone call away!