Getting dental implants is something that many people do in order to replace one or more missing teeth. They're long-lasting, effective, and very strong. But the benefits of dental implants don't stop there. If you're tired of having one or more missing teeth and have considered dental implants but haven't made the leap, then consider these three additional benefits of having them.
Gum Health
It's important to understand how dental implants work in order to understand their benefits. To start, dental implants are placed under the surface of the gums and reach all the way down to the jaw bone. This is very different from bridges and dentures, which just sit on top of the gums.
This means that when you chew, the pressure moves through the dental implant and into your gums. Pressure isn't a bad thing when it comes to gums. It helps to stimulate blood flow, which can reduce your risk of developing gum disease, and keeps your gums healthy and pink.
Bone Health
Another benefit solely belonging to dental implants is that they help to keep your jawbones strong. Since they go all the way down to the bone, the pressure that isn't lost in the gums is instead transferred into the bone.
Bones are unique in that pressure is actually a necessity for them to stay healthy and strong. In the same way that weight training can help to increase bone density, chewing applies pressure on the bones, stimulating them to grow new healthy bone cells to replace older ones. This keeps your bones from becoming frail and brittle, which can happen with tooth loss and other tooth replacement methods.
Digestion
Believe it or not, dental implants can help to improve your digestion. This is because digestion actually starts in the mouth. When you chew on food, saliva is mixed into it and begins breaking it down with enzymes and bacteria. Soft foods that don't require chewing or are easier to consume with dentures and bridges may not receive the full benefit of this process, which can lead to more work for your stomach, or less nutritional content being absorbed from your food. With dental implants, however, you can chew just about anything that you would with real teeth, ensuring that you can thoroughly chew your food and break it down to make it easier on your stomach.
If you've been on the fence about dental implants, now's the time to make the leap to get them. Talk to a dentist if you have further questions about the benefits of dental implants.
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