Many Canadians have crowns, bridges, and other types of permanent oral fixtures. When made correctly, these fixtures look nearly identical to natural teeth and can’t be spotted in your smile. But how do crowns and bridges stay in place? Implants are titanium screws that basically function as the artificial root for your crown. Just as a natural tooth’s root keeps that tooth firmly in place, implants hold crowns securely and allow you to feel like you have natural teeth again. Who are Implants for? Anyone who is missing teeth can consider implants as an option. This includes the elderly, who often need to make decisions about what sort of dentures they want; teens, who have a tendency to fall or have accidents that may knock out a tooth or two; and everyone in between. Since implants provide a permanent solution and act as natural teeth, they are often an excellent choice if a client only has a few missing teeth. However, many of our clients seeking a full set of artificial teeth have chosen implanted dentures for a variety of reasons.

Why Implants?

The thing we love about implants is that they truly act like natural teeth. Once they’re in place, it’s easy to forget you ever had a missing tooth. In contrast, removable dentures have some common issues that many of our clients would prefer to avoid. One of the biggest difficulties that denture-wearers have is speaking. Nearly 90% of people wearing dentures will have some difficulty with a few sounds, a quarter will actively struggle to speak clearly. Implants, on the other hand, do not cause speaking difficulties. Dentures can also cause trouble eating certain foods. Crunchy, hard, or chewy foods such as raw vegetable, certain meats, and nuts may pose a challenge, and a full third of those wearing dentures report only being able to comfortably eat soft foods. Those with implants do not have any of these issues, and they can eat a raw carrot and apples as easily as those with natural teeth. Other concerns with dentures include social embarrassment when they fall out, bone reabsorption, and a reduced sense of taste. All of these problems are entirely avoided with implants.

Are There Other Options?

One of the reasons that clients may opt for other options is that often they think getting implants is too expensive. And it’s true that implants can be expensive — particularly if you need to have many fake teeth made at once. However, in the long run, implants are often the more affordable option. This is because dentures need to be readjusted and replaced fairly regularly. Not only does this waste time since you need to schedule appointments for the adjustments, it also costs money. Implants are a permanent solution that, once in place, are nearly indistinguishable from natural teeth.

As long as you brush, floss, and keep going to the dentist as you always have, there are no extra costs once your implants are in place. Do you have any questions about implants? Wondering whether they’re the right solution for you? We’re happy to answer all of your questions and discuss whether this is the right option for your situation.