Want to Live Longer? Replace Your Missing Teeth with Dental Implants

When you lose teeth, particularly a significant number of them, it can be devastating in several ways. Not only can you feel self-conscious and have impaired oral function, but several studies have suggested that severe tooth loss can also lead to a shorter life expectancy. In fact, the consensus in research is that it can cut as many as 10 years off your life. Unfortunately, traditional dentures don’t seem to help you get these years back at all. However, dental implants could help you live longer! How is this possible? Keep reading to find out more.

More Effective Protection Against Gum Disease

The most common reason for tooth loss in adults is gum disease. This inflammatory condition attacks both your gum tissue and your jawbone, weakening the support given to teeth. In addition, much research backs up the theory that the effects of the bacteria responsible for gum disease go far beyond the mouth. In fact, studies have found strong connections between this oral condition and increased risks of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s and dementia, certain kinds of cancers, and more.

In order to have successful dental implants, you must maintain substantial jawbone density and healthy gums. Through certain procedures like bone grafts and gum disease treatment, someone who has suffered from this infection before can qualify for these replacement teeth. As the patient keeps up their oral health with dental implants and avoids smoking, they actively prevent gum disease from negatively impacting both their smile and the rest of their body. While dental implants don’t guarantee perfect health, but having and caring for them can reduce your odds of some life-threatening conditions.

Stronger Bite, Better Diet

Although normal dentures certainly beat having no teeth at all, they often prove insufficient to restore your full biting strength. In fact, they typically give you about 25 percent of your original bite force back. As a result, biting and chewing tough, nutritious foods can become too difficult. Unfortunately, many of the softer alternatives tend to be more processed and less healthy, potentially leading you to not obtain the nutrients your body needs to run optimally. Other health issues can creep in, affecting not only your health and life expectancy but also the quality of your life.

In contrast, dental implants enable you to eat basically anything you want with up to 75 percent of your original biting force. With these prosthetic teeth, you can have raw vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and other foods that strengthen your body and allow you to do the activities you want to do.

Better Mental Health and Confidence

Although a positive attitude can’t cure certain medical diseases or overcome death, good mental health can help your body better fight infections and diseases. It can also help you enjoy and appreciate whatever time you have left in your lifetime. An incomplete or hole-filled mouth can deter a person from showing their smile, which is shame considering that those who smile often have been found to be happier and more satisfied than those who don’t. With dental implants, you don’t have to worry about your prosthetic teeth slipping while you talk, smile, or laugh freely, which can encourage you to share it with others as much as you want. This can boost your immune system and your overall contentment with life.

You may not initially think your replacement teeth could play a role in how long or how well you live, but dental implants can have a significant effect in both the short and long terms.

About the Practice

Gerome & Patrice Family Dentistry is proud to work with the area’s best experts for the placement portion of the dental implant process. Our dentists collaborate with these specialists to ensure that our patients receive top-tier care at every stage of treatment and receive successful results. If you would like to know if you could benefit from getting dental implants, contact us online or call our Loveland office at 513-677-1349 to schedule a consultation.