Dental implants have always been the best choice for replacing one or more lost teeth. However, in these current times of uncertainty, the benefits of dental implants are even more important.
Here’s why the benefits of dental implants stand out at this and other times of uncertainty.
Eat Whatever’s Available
One of the biggest limitations of traditional dentures/’}}}} is that they aren’t always great for eating. Between poor fit and being supported by your gums not your bone, traditional dentures significantly reduce your bite force. They also limit the ways that you can chew. These things combine to make it hard to eat many types of food.
Although we haven’t had any serious shortages, there have been a few times you couldn’t get what you wanted at the grocery store. You don’t need a limitation on what you can eat on top of that. It’s important to have freedom to eat the foods you choose (out of what’s available).
Implants Are Firmly Fixed in the Mouth
Speaking of eating, many people find traditional dentures to be so limited for eating that they remove them to eat. This undermines the point of dentures, but normally if you’re eating out this is just a question of practicality and manners. You need to find a way to discreetly remove your dentures, clean them out, and put them back in, hopefully with nobody the wiser.
However, now there’s an extra wrinkle: coronavirus transmission. Taking your dentures out and putting them back in a public place like a restaurant could potentially increase your chances of contracting the novel coronavirus, in part because it involves messing with your face in a public area.
Implants Last a Lifetime
But perhaps the best benefit of dental implants is that they last forever. Or, at least, they last as close to forever as matters. Most people who get dental implants pass away of unrelated causes with their implants still in place, sometimes after 40 or 50 years of good service.. They might need a minor adjustment or repair in about ten years, but that’s about it. Except, of course for the repair or replacement of the dental crown or bridge atop the implant, which might need to be done every ten years or so.
In contrast, traditional full dentures need high levels of recurrent maintenance. Most important is the need for regular relines. Relining dentures helps them maintain their fit. It’s essential if you want to get the most out of your dentures. The problem is that dentures need to be relined every six months or so, especially during the first year. In addition, traditional dentures might last eight years or less.
If there is a risk that you might not be able to visit the dentist freely six months or so in the future, it’s best to stick with the procedure that needs fewer dental visits.
Are Dental Implants Right for You?
If you have lost one or more teeth and are considering your replacement options, you might need help evaluating the positives and negatives of each.
To learn more about what makes dental implants a better choice, especially now, please call (803) 781-9090 today for an appointment with Columbia, SC denture dentist Dr. Adam Hahn at Smile Columbia Dentistry.
