Vulnerable to decay, damage, and discoloration, natural teeth can seem to come with a host of annoying issues. After a lifetime of dealing with maintaining your real teeth, the appeal of prosthetic teeth can become tempting. In particular, dental implants, the gold standard of tooth replacement, can reverse many of the downfalls of tooth loss and restore a healthy, happy smile to those who with missing teeth.
With all the amazing benefits dental implants offer, you may be wondering if it would be better to take all your natural teeth out and replace them, even if they are still healthy, with cutting-edge dental implants. But this would be a mistake! Here are multiple reasons your real teeth are worth preserving as much as possible.
Reason #1: Natural Teeth Have Greater Bite Strength.
Compared to traditional dentures, dental implants give you back substantially more biting force. While you get only about 25 percent of your original jaw strength with dentures alone, dental implants restore about 75 percent. As a result, food restrictions are much less with dental implants.
Still, natural teeth will provide the greatest biting ability. As a result, you truly can eat a wider variety of foods, including some of your favorites like juicy steak, nuts, apples, and raw carrots.
Reason #2: Replacement Teeth Can Be Expensive.
Like many people, you can probably think of better ways to spend tens of thousands of dollars than on replacing your otherwise healthy teeth. Minor repairs like fillings and crowns also cost money, but these expenses pale in comparison to the price of dental implants. It is financially smarter to keep the teeth you were born with and got for free than to pay to replace them unnecessarily.
Reason #3: Getting Prosthetic Teeth Is Uncomfortable.
Although a local anesthetic and over-the-counter pain medication can control discomfort, most people who receive dental implants experience some soreness and temporary pain as they heal. After all, this treatment involves minor surgery! Instead of going through recovery for dental implants, you can take away dental discomfort with root canal treatment and keep your natural teeth.
Reason #4: Prosthetic Teeth Require Maintenance Too.
If you think that getting dental implants means you don’t have to worry about your oral health anymore, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Although the prosthetics can’t decay, your gums can still become infected by oral bacteria found in plaque. As a result, daily brushing and flossing, as well as regular visits with your dentist, are still necessary. Without this essential care, your implants and your smile will fail.
Although tooth replacement has made impressive improvements, nothing compares to natural teeth. In other words, you should keep them for as long as you can!
About the Author
At 333 Dental Care, Dr. Dustin Lively leads the team in helping patients have healthy, strong smiles. Although he has the training to provide dental implants for those who need them, Dr. Lively encourages prevention and preservation as much as possible. If you are interested in learning more about dental implants, you can schedule an appointment at 333 Dental Care online or call our Mangum office at 580-782-2552.