You’ve probably heard the phrase you get what you pay for at some point in your life. There’s no better example of this than dental implants, as they are by far the most popular tooth replacement option in the country despite costing quite a bit more compared to traditional dentures and bridges. What makes them worth the extra expense? Thankfully, this isn’t complicated to answer—they deliver a result far beyond what you can get with anything else.
No Diet Restrictions
While eating with a regular denture or bridge is certainly a lot easier compared to just dealing with missing teeth, patients still have to adapt quite a bit with these prosthetics. To make chewing more comfortable, they often need to cut their food into smaller portions, chew slowly on both sides of their mouth, and avoid certain tough foods entirely.
With dental implants, their unmatched strength allows someone to eat whatever they want without having to give it a second thought. Other than being mindful of extremely hard foods (which is wise even for people with all of their natural teeth), an implant patient doesn’t have to think twice when ordering at a restaurant.
Clearer Speech
Regular dentures can make some syllables harder to pronounce, causing some people to develop a noticeable lisp. This is because the prosthetic is changing how a person’s lips and tongue are used to make certain sounds. This is particularly prominent for those who have a full upper denture, as they usually have a plate that goes over the roof of the mouth for the sake of stability.
Dental implants take up much less room and better resemble real teeth, meaning a patient can speak normally and won’t have to work so hard to sound like themselves. In addition to being easier to understand, this can make a person feel more confident and more willing to socialize, offering a big boost to their confidence and mental health.
Jaw Preservation
When the teeth go missing, the jawbone in the area naturally starts to shrink and weaken. Dentures can’t stop this, nor can bridges—but dental implants can. The titanium posts that act as new tooth roots stimulate the jawbone and encourage renewed blood flow to the area, ensuring the bone stays healthy and strong.
This helps a person maintain their facial shape as the years go by. This can offset the appearance of wrinkles, leading to a younger appearance. Plus, it stops the oral changes that often require a denture or bridge to be replaced every five to seven years.
Longevity
Continuing from the previous point, while dental implants are often thought of as expensive, they are actually the most cost-effective tooth replacement option. Traditional bridges and dentures need to be relined and/or replaced entirely after less than a decade, while dental implants can be trusted to last for 20-30 years and beyond. This means less maintenance year-to-year and saving thousands on replacement prosthetics.
In short, while dental implants cost more, they also offer one-of-a-kind benefits, which is why millions of patients around the world choose them and report being beyond satisfied. Most often the biggest regret someone has is that they didn’t start getting implants sooner!
About the Author
A staple in the Massapequa Park community for four decades, Dr. Allan Mohr is one of the leading implant and cosmetic dentists in the country. On top of helping thousands of patients over the years, he is also an in-demand speaker, educator, and trainer with over 3,000 hours of continuing education. His wealth of knowledge is only exceeded by his passion for helping people.
You can see a few examples of Dr. Mohr’s smile transformations with dental implants here, and if you’re ready to enjoy this same kind of result, just click here to schedule an appointment or call (516)541-7344.