This two part article series presents compelling reasons why patients should consider dental implants as their tooth replacement solution instead of traditional removable dentures.

If edentulous (toothless) and near-edentulous people had any inkling of the trouble removable dentures can be, they’d very likely invest in having dental implants placed instead. This is an incredibly valuable lesson for all of us to learn before we make decisions that will harm our oral health and quality of life. When it comes to your oral health, no compromises should be made.

In this two-part series, we shall be discussing some very compelling reasons why you should choose All on 4 implants as your tooth replacement technology, and not removable dentures.

All on 4 Dental Implants and the Health of Your Jaw Bone

The roots of your teeth are essential to maintaining good jaw bone health because they transmit the forces associated with eating into the hard tissue that surrounds them. This keeps the bone ‘exercised’ and strong, thus preventing atrophication from claiming jaw bone volume. When teeth are lost, the underlying bone in the jaw undergoes a remodeling process due to the loss of this essential stimulation. Unfortunately, because dentures only replace the visible tooth structures (the crowns) and not the roots, they do nothing prevent atrophy. All on 4 dental implants, on the other hand, replace both the crowns and the roots of the teeth, keeping the jaw bone healthy.

The Consequences of Jaw Bone Loss

As the hard tissue in the jaw wastes away, patients will experience a weakened bite and the gradual aging and collapse of their natural youthful facial contours. The remodeling of the jaw bone is also what results in the need for patients to have their dentures refitted time and again, the costs of which add up in the long run. Eventually, the jaw will have become so weak and wasted away that it won’t even be able to support dentures.

At this juncture, dental implants in Houston will also be out of the question, thus leaving the patient without any tooth replacement options. This has a significant effect upon diet, which explains why one of the biggest problems faced by elderly denture wearers is malnutrition! In fact, wearing dentures can shorten your life expectancy by up to 10 years! If that’s not a good enough reason to opt for dental implants on the outset, I don’t know what is!

The Benefits of having Teeth that are Fixed and Non-removable

Never underestimate the quality of life you can enjoy when your teeth are fixed in your mouth and cannot be removed. Many of the challenges and repeat expenses that denture wearers are forced to contend with all stem from having teeth that are loose and can slip around in the mouth:

• Low confidence and poor self-esteem
• Unnatural smile aesthetics
• Difficulty eating and managing tougher foods
• Limited diet
• Repeat expenses, such as adhesives
• Having to take your teeth out at night
• Having to take your teeth out after meals to clean them
• Chronic bad breath as a consequence of dentures harboring food and bacteria
• Gums that are irritated and sore from being rubbed against

The All on 4 dental implant protocol can give patients a complete set of fixed and non-removable teeth that function, feel and look like natural teeth. This eliminates all of the typical above-mentioned problems, vastly improving a patient’s quality of life and self-confidence.

To read more about the benefits of All on 4 dental implants, stay tuned for the second half of this two-part series.