Gone are the days when you had to live with gaps from missing, broken, or damaged teeth. Dental implants, the state-of-the-art solution provides a safe and effective means of tooth replacement to people of all ages. An implant can be used for a single tooth or for a series of them. It consists of a titanium post, to which a tooth-like, tooth-colored crown gets attached. Only the latter is visible in your mouth and gives you a confident smile as before. Implants can also be used to support an entire arch of crowns in the upper or lower jaw. There are many reasons that make implants so popular and why dentists in Springfield recommend them. Here are five important ones.

# 1 – Implants resemble natural teeth

A dental implant is designed to look and function as closely as possible as the natural teeth. Just like a real tooth is attached to the jawbone by a root, an implant is anchored to its place with a metal screw-like device made of titanium. The unique property of this metal helps it fuse to a living bone over several months, after which the implant feels more like natural teeth. The crown that gets placed over the metallic post is typically made of ceramic and is matched as closely as possible to the natural color of your teeth. This makes a full dental implant almost indistinguishable from the real tooth and allows you to eat, speak and smile the way you did when you had the real tooth.

# 2 – They help prevent bone loss

Few people are aware of this but tooth loss also means bone loss. A healthy tooth provides bones the stimulation it needs to rebuild itself and functioning well. However, when a tooth gets lost from accident or decay, the bone beneath it loses its health and begins to melt away. This gives your face a sagged and aged appearance prematurely. Bones that are not strong enough also leaves you prone to fractures and injuries. An implant prevents such problems by fusing to the jawbone, giving it more stability and keeping it healthy.

# 3 – Implants are safe for adjacent teeth

Most tooth restoration devices require the support of adjacent teeth to function properly. This causes healthy teeth to weaken or get damaged over time. For instance, in the bridge, the teeth adjacent to the missing one act as a support for the dental bridge. This stresses healthy teeth and makes them prone to decay. Often times, these teeth require filling or a root canal treatment to be able to provide continued support. Similarly, a partial denture also needs the support of teeth around it, which causes them to loosen over time. Dental implants Springfield, on the other hand, have little or no effect on the teeth surrounding them. This because they are standalone units which rely on the metal posts for support, without affecting the teeth adjacent to it.

# 4 – They last longer

Among the different options available for tooth replacement, implants serve their purpose the longest. They also provide a near-permanent solution to tooth loss and function properly for many years, provide you care for them correctly. Other methods of replacing lost teeth such as removable dentures and bridgework often need replacement from time to time, which becomes cost intensive and ineffective in the long-run. Though a little expensive upfront, implants offset their higher cost by providing value for money with their longer life span.

# 5 – They are easy to care for Among the different tooth replacement options, implants are the easiest to care for. They don’t need special creams or adhesive, nor do they require soaking overnight, as with dentures. Keeping them pristine requires just the same effort needed to keep natural teeth healthy. You need to brush and floss as you would do regularly with real teeth. However, with implants, you are more likely to be troubled by gum diseases. These can be prevented with good oral hygiene and routine examinations and professional cleaning in a timely manner. Visiting your dentist regularly not only keeps your real teeth healthy but also helps the implant perform their job effectively for a long time.