As a dedicated Davenport dentist, I love looking at the latest research in dentistry. It’s my goal to help patients keep their natural teeth forever. If that’s not possible, I’m here to provide stable and durable replacement tooth options.

One such replacement option is a dental implant. Searching around the internet one might find a great deal about dental implants. Dental implants are not new to dentistry, but they are the strongest tooth replacement option available in dentistry. As you might imagine, every dentist wants to write about dental implants — even those who do not offer the type of dental implant you need.

At Davenport Dental Group, we offer various dental implant options to help patients with missing teeth. Patients with missing teeth have problems eating the foods they love and suffer physical changes in the face and jaw. We work a specialist to place dental implants that fit your oral health goals.

Facts About Missing Teeth

According to the American College of Prosthodontists, more than 30 million Americans do not have any remaining permanent teeth, and more than 150 million Americans are missing at least one permanent tooth. The consequences of tooth loss are vast. There are adverse health complications with tooth, but the most obvious problem is the aesthetics.

When you lose teeth, the jaw bone begins to recede. This can happen fast in as little as 18 months. As the jaw recedes, the patient will lose the vertical height between their nose and chin and develop wrinkles around their mouth. Simply put, the face looks sunken in. With a deteriorating jaw bone, patients with missing teeth often look much older than they truly are.

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth. Gum disease occurs when an infection is present in the gums. If left untreated, this infection will spread from the gum tissue to the bone, causing the tooth or teeth to fail. The first signs of gum disease include bleeding or swollen gums, but it’s possible to have gum disease and have no physical symptoms.

Missing teeth can affect your overall health. Eating is an essential part of being healthy. Without teeth, you cannot eat healthy foods — or even your favorite foods. Failing teeth or missing teeth can cause patients to switch to a diet filled with softer, unhealthy foods.

How Dental Implants Can Help You!

At this point, you know that living without teeth or failing is a huge struggle. So what are your options? What can be done to fix your smile? Dental implants are the natural choice.

Dental implants are made from titanium, a metal that is biocompatible. Once the implants merge with the jaw bone, we can restore the dental implants with crowns, bridges, or dentures.

The implants also stop the jawbone from receding, allowing you to maintain your youthful appearance.

Single dental implants vs. dental bridges –  For the longest time, we dentists used bridges to fill the gap create by a missing tooth. A traditional bridge is a great tool and affordable, but it is invasive. We must file down the healthy adjacent teeth to support the final restoration. The dental implant simply addresses the gap caused by the missing tooth.

Dentures vs. implant-supported dentures — About 90 percent of Americans without teeth wear dentures. Conventional removable dentures are great aesthetic tools, but they do not match the biting force of natural teeth or dental implants. Removable dentures can provide about 25 to 50 percent of the biting power of natural teeth, while dental implants can match the power of natural teeth by up to 90 percent.

Dental implants can change your life. When you stabilize your denture with dental implants, you can eat the food you love again. You can schedule a dental implant consultation by calling our Junction Drive office at 956-242-6745 or our Winfield location at 956-517-2695.