Dental Implants are More Common than You Realize

Dental Implants are More Common than You Realize

Often when encountering tooth loss, people feel alone. They may feel ashamed, as if they did something egregious to cause the loss. But what most people don’t realize is that tooth loss is quite common. It is estimated over 120 million Americans are missing one or more teeth, which is around 36% of all adults in the United States. There are many reasons why tooth loss occurs, and the best solution to keeping your smile and bite intact after loss is getting a single tooth dental implants.

 

Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease):

Studies have shown that gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss, as the loss of the gum structure leads to loss of the bone supporting the teeth. When the bone is lost, the tooth can become loose and fall out under everyday wear and use. A major risk factor for gum disease is smoking cigarettes. The act of smoking effects oral health significantly, placing smokers at twice the risk of gum disease over non-smokers.

 

Dental Trauma:

Accidents happen, on the field, in the car, or walking down the street. Unfortunately, a strong hit to the mouth can result in the loss of a tooth. Sport mouth guards are a great way to prevent oral injury in the game, but sometimes dental trauma is unavoidable.

 

Health Crisis and Illness:

It is no surprise that the oral and body health are interconnected. Diseases that affect the body will usually affect the mouth as well. These serious illnesses can result in bone loss, infections, and general health complications that disrupt the strength and support of the teeth. The top diseases that result in tooth loss include cancers, osteomyelitis, and autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, MS, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Vasculitis, Graves’ Disease, and AIDS/HIV.

 

 

Dental Implants: The best solution for tooth loss

When facing tooth loss, the modern solution is getting a dental implant. Unlike bridges and partial dentures of the past, implants are surgically placed in your gums and when fully healed, act in the same capacity as a natural tooth. Bridges and partial dentures are attached to neighboring teeth, putting a great deal of wear and stress on them. This adds to their risk of early loss, decay, and damage. Implants stand-alone, do not decay, are immune to cavities, and if future tooth loss occurs in neighboring teeth, an implant can be used as an anchor to add additional false teeth without risk or damage to natural teeth.

 

With over 5 million Americans enjoying the benefits of dental implants and 500,000 new implant patients each year, dental implants really have become the best solution for replacing lost teeth and keeping a strong and glowing smile.

 

If you’d like to make an appointment at our Durham CT office, call us today and we can work with you to find the best whitening solution.