How Dental Implants Can Improve Your Oral Health and Function

At Starbody Dental, we strive to provide our patients with the most advanced treatments available to help ensure positive treatment experiences, optimal treatment outcomes, and patient satisfaction, and that's why our number-one recommendation for replacing missing teeth to restore an incomplete smile is restorative dental treatment with dental implants. 

9 Ways Dental Implants Can Improve Your Health and Function

1. Replace One or More Missing Teeth

Dental implants are a versatile treatment option that can be used when patients are missing one or more teeth.

• Individual dental implants can support dental crowns to replace missing teeth on a one-for-one basis.
• One or two dental implants can support a dental bridge when a patient is missing multiple teeth in a row. 
• For patients who are missing all or most of their teeth, several strategically placed dental implants can be used to support a full or partial denture with a treatment called All-on-X.

2. Prevent Shifting

There are a number of ways that a missing tooth (or teeth) can harm your oral health. One of the ways is that they leave a gap behind that creates extra space along the jawbone's arch. Over time, the remaining natural teeth will begin to shift and move into this gap. This shifting can lead to malocclusion (abnormal bite) and a slew of oral health problems. 

3. Prevent Irregular Wear

One of the most common problems associated with shifting teeth is irregular wear and tear. As your teeth move and your bite changes, the chewing surfaces of the teeth will begin to rub against each other in suboptimal patterns. As a result, you could become increasingly susceptible to tooth decay and cavities as a result of excessively worn tooth enamel. 

4. Support a Healthy Jawbone

The jawbone relies on frequent pressure that stimulates the generation of bone matter. When a tooth is missing, the space beneath it does not receive any pressure from a tooth root. Additionally, the tooth directly above or below the missing tooth also stops putting pressure on the opposing jawbone. Over time, the jawbone will begin to deteriorate beneath these spaces.

Dental implants consist of a prosthetic "tooth root" that is implanted directly in the jawbone. This screw-like prosthetic root delivers pressure to the jawbone, mimicking the natural pressure from a tooth root. As a result, dental implants are the only tooth replacement that supports jawbone health in this way. 

5. Prevent Further Tooth Loss

Without restorative treatment with a dental implant, the jawbone's deterioration can result in the loss of neighboring teeth, as their root systems gradually become weakened and compromised. It can also change your physical appearance, as your bone structure slowly degenerates. 

6. Restore Chewing Function

Dental restorations that are supported by dental implants work and feel just like natural teeth. So, patients can enjoy eating all of their favorite foods confidently — no matter how hard, sticky, or chewy they might be. 

7. Support Balanced Nutrition

Since patients can chew easily and naturally, dental implants help to support balanced nutrition and a healthy diet, where patients are able to comfortably consume enough calories each day in addition to chewing their food thoroughly to aid in the digestion process. 

8. Support Normal Speech

Missing teeth and changing jawbone can impact a person's ability to speak normally, changing their speech patterns and making it difficult to pronounce certain words. For example, missing teeth can sometimes cause a person to have a lisp or whistle. Replacing missing teeth with implant-supported dental restorations will restore your ability to speak naturally. 

9. Restore Your Confidence

Dental implants are considered both restorative and aesthetic dentistry because they replace missing teeth to restore the form and function of the smile while also helping to enhance the smile's appearance. With implant-supported restorations, your replacement teeth will blend seamlessly with the remaining natural teeth while enhancing and balancing your facial features. 

How Much Do Dental Implants Cost?

The average cost of dental implants ranges from about $3,000 to $5,000 per tooth. A patient's total treatment costs can vary significantly depending on several factors, such as:

• The type of dental implant and the materials used
• The type of dental restoration being used
• The type and location of the tooth being treated
• The extent of preparatory dental work needed (tooth extractions or bone grafting procedures)

Additionally, each patient's insurance coverage can impact the final, out-of-pocket costs for which the patient will be responsible. Our office team will be happy to provide you with a treatment cost estimate and help you navigate your insurance policy to better anticipate your expenses. In addition to accepting and submitting claims to a variety of dental insurance companies, we also provide patients with payment and financing options to help make advanced dental care accessible to as many people as possible. 

Schedule Your Smile Transformation with Dental Implants in Murfreesboro

If you're missing one or more teeth, we invite you to take the first steps to restoring your smile's form, function, and aesthetic appearance by requesting a consultation with a dentist at Starbody Dental today.