You may be wondering why you would consider a surgical option for replacing lost teeth when a denture or bridge can be completed without anesthesia and in less time

The answer, quite simply, is that the surgical option of placing dental implants means not only will your smile look as good as ever; it will feel, in the end, just like your natural smile. Dental implants are a lasting and superior method of dealing with tooth loss.

Consider the following:

• Dental implants are anchored in the bone of your jaw. They do not wiggle, slip, or require removing to be cleaned.
• Dental implants look just like the real thing. You can"t tell an implant from a real tooth by its color. Nobody has to know you have a false tooth.
• Dental implants feel just like the real thing. The tongue and muscles of your cheeks do not have to be "trained" to hold a dental implant in place.
• Dental implants are cared for just like your normal teeth. You brush after every meal, floss daily and continue to see your dentist for regular checkups. That"s it! No special pastes or messy adhesives.
• Once a dental implant is in place, you can expect it to be there for your lifetime. When properly cared for (as you care for your real teeth) an implant rarely needs replaced.

What does a typical denture or bridge wearer go through?

Let's compare:

• Dentures are anchored by adhesive strips or gel substances. You cannot entirely eliminate the fact that they wiggle and slip, often at the most inopportune times.
• Though techniques have improved vastly over the years, there remains an unquestionably different look to dentures. Often the color is not quite right or the gums look pale and unnatural. As well, people can often hear the "click" of a denture wearer as they attempt to eat or talk or the actual speech patterns of the wearer change as they attempt to adjust to the placement of the denture plate in their mouth.
• Even the best of dentures will never feel natural. Your real teeth simply don"t move or take up as much space. Your tongue and cheek muscles don"t have to coordinate to hold your teeth in place while you are trying to speak. Not to mention the sore spots dentures often rub on gums while the mouth is adjusting to the fit.
• Dentures require removal for cleaning and special bleaching and powders on a regular basis. Many people opt to sleep without their dentures and soak their dentures overnight for cleaning.
• Most denture wearers can expect to go through months of fittings and adjustments to come up with an initial set of dentures that are comfortable to wear. As the mouth changes over time, and bone loss rates increase, the entire process may have to be repeated several times in a wearer"s lifetime.

Patients who have opted for dental implants are overwhelmingly pleased with the decision.

Many people who were not considered eligible for implants even a decade or two ago are now deciding to give up dentures in favor of implants. Improvements in the techniques and materials involved make implant success likely for a variety of conditions and situations. And though the initial cost of implants might be a bit more than dentures (or bridges in the case of just a few missing teeth) the permanent nature of the implant quickly makes up for that. Implants should be considered a long-term or even lifetime solution for tooth replacement while bridges and dentures are generally expected to be replaced once per decade, at the very least, for most wearers.

Implants, as well, likely only cause discomfort (which is generally mild if at all) in the surgical stage of the initial setting of the implants. Most patients report just slight discomfort in the day or two following surgery. Dentures, on the other hand, often involve on-going discomfort as the wearer struggles with slippage and sores rubbed on the gums and cheeks, as well as food particles lodging beneath the denture plates and general embarrassment at having to adjust them in public settings.

Dental implants are as close to the real thing as you can get

If you need teeth replaced, or will be in a position to have them replaced soon, talk with your dentist about dental implants.

Your smile will be glad you did.