Why Should I Consider Dental Implants?

Why Should I Consider Dental Implants?

Courtesy John Shoemaker, DDS, Texoma LIVING WELL Magazine

What are you missing out on because of missing teeth?

Missing teeth and loose dentures make too many people sit on the sidelines and let life pass them by. However, today’s modern treatment plans can replace everything from a single missing tooth to a completely missing arch. Ask your dentist or dental specialist about the different dental implant options that are available to you. Don’t let another day go by without taking this important first step to restoring your confidence and your smile!

Facial appearance with healthy teeth and bones

Facial appearance after tooth loss

Facial appearance after tooth and bone loss

Jaw appearance with healthy teeth and bones

Jaw appearance after
tooth loss

Jaw appearance after
tooth and bone loss

 

 

 

Bone loss leads to premature aging and additional tooth loss!
Losing one or more of your teeth starts a chain of events that can have dire physical and cosmetic consequences. The most obvious result is a gap in your smile. Less obvious is the loss of chewing function and the inability to eat a complete diet that can result from tooth loss. While these are certainly serious issues, a potentially bigger problem lies hidden beneath the surface: bone loss.

Untreated Missing                 Tooth Crown and Bridge           Implant with a Crown

Your jawbone needs the chewing action of the teeth to stimulate it and keep it strong. Otherwise it will begin to disappear (atrophy) in the same manner that the unused muscles beneath a cast supporting a broken bone get smaller. Without the support of your teeth and facial bones, your face will begin to look prematurely aged. The good news is that tooth replacement with dental implants offers a solution to help prevent bone loss.

Tooth Replacement Options
Traditional treatment options for tooth replacement, Crown & Bridge and full or partial dentures, address the short-term cosmetic problem of missing teeth, but do nothing to stop bone loss. Crown & Bridge also requires that two or more healthy teeth be ground down to serve as abutments (posts) for a bridge, leaving them at a much greater risk for cavities and endodontic failure. If the original abutment teeth fail, more healthy teeth must be sacrificed to serve as posts, while you continue to lose bone beneath the bridge.

With implants, however, the healthy teeth are left alone. Dental implants, like natural teeth, also transmit chewing forces to the jawbone, which reduces bone loss. This is why many leading dental organizations now recognize dental implants as the standard of care for tooth replacement.

Dr. John Shoemaker is a general dentist with special interest in implant & cosmetic dentistry. He is a Diplomate with the International Congress of Oral Implantologist (ICOI). He is one of 33 Texas dentists and one of 500 USA dentists who has been awarded this honorary status. He is also a fellow of the Misch Implant Institute and has been placing implants for 27 years. He enjoys the Texoma area and has found great pleasure in restoring his patients’ dental health & helping them smile again!

For more information, or to schedule your consultation with Dr. Shoemaker, please call us today! 903-893-7751