Are you putting off taking care of your teeth? Maybe you feel that if the majority of your teeth are in acceptable condition it is alright to overlook a loose or missing tooth in your mouth. If you are are missing one or more teeth you definitely want to consider the best option for replacement. Tooth loss can happen for a variety of reasons, but the fact of the matter is that you now have some uncomfortable spaces in your mouth which can make for a host of issues in the areas of eating, drinking or even talking. Your self-confidence can also suffer. If you’re considering dentures or dental implants, here are some reasons that might tilt the scales more in the direction of implants.

While dentures can help people, there’s always the worry that they may slip out and possibly lead to embarrassing moments in front of the wearer’s family, friends or worse – possibly a business scenario or even a romantic situation.. That’s not the case with dental implants. After the healing process and the implant has been screwed in, they act as normal teeth… and that makes a very big difference when it comes to one’s self-confidence level. They can eat, drink, and talk much like they did in the days pre-implant. There won’t be any worry in the back of one’s mind that something could go wrong.

When you have dentures made or have a bridge fitted, your dentist will cut down on surrounding teeth to make everything fit smoothly. That won’t be the case when you get dental implants. Also, you will be able to floss between some of your teeth (depending on the type of prosthetics used) with your implant whereas you can’t with the bridge or dentures, so you’ll have better overall oral health. When you have healthier teeth and gums, that can reduce the risk for other diseases that can follow if gingivitis sets in.

While you could get by with dentures, the implants actually fuse with your jawbone, which makes it that much more stable. As an added benefit, the implants can reverse the effects of bone loss, since you will be able to eat better than if you had a gap in your teeth, which means more nutrients. As you get older, one of the first place you lose bone mass in is your jaw, so if you need an implant later on, you may need to have procedures done to regenerate that bone loss since the replacement roots need a certain amount to be able to work.

There’s another aspect of your health that shouldn’t be ignored – your mental well-being. It’s hard on your self-esteem if you feel like you can’t talk or eat in public. Your job performance may suffer, since you maybe less comfortable in the presence of others. That won’t be the case with your dental implants. Soon, others may see a whole new you – one that’s not afraid to smile or even throw your head back in laughter. It’s quite a boost to not be constantly worrying about whether others are looking at your mouth in a negative way. A happy person can be a productive one.