From Our Dentists in Lakewood: Dental Implants Save Your Oral and Systemic Health

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a cross-sectional model displaying Dallas dental implants

Tooth loss doesn’t just create gaps in your smile–it creates numerous oral and systemic health issues, too. Indeed, failure to address tooth loss can even result in life-threatening conditions that affect your overall quality of life. But, with dental implants, patients can prevent these completely avoidable issues while also improving their aesthetic, oral function, and confidence. Lakewood dental implants

At Lakewood Dental Group, we are proud to offer top-tier, titanium dental implants for patients living in Dallas, TX, and the surrounding areas. If you’re ready to discuss your restorative options, then contact our friendly team online here or call us at (214) 827-1885 to request your appointment now.

When it comes to tooth-replacement solutions, nothing is quite as effective or health-saving as dental implants. In this post, Drs. Shaun Sigurdson and Mihir Patel tell you exactly how dental implants can save your oral and systemic health to improve your overall quality of life. 

What are dental implants?

Dental implants (frequently called ‘tooth implants’) are tiny, titanium screws that function much like a natural tooth’s roots. Our Lakewood dentists expertly embed the implants directly into the jaw bone, which provides the strong foundation needed to support high-quality dental restorations, like:

  • Crowns
  • Bridges
  • Dentures

Of course, dental implants require oral surgery. But, our Dallas dental office employs the latest and greatest dental technology to allow our team to comfortably and effectively place tooth implants. As a result, we can place dental implants faster and with less pain and fewer postoperative complications compared to traditional surgical techniques.

When patients get Lakewood dental implants with our Lakewood dentists, they can feel confident that they will enjoy the estimated 98% success rate of titanium implants indicated by 2021 data. 

How do Lakewood dental implants save my oral health?

Tooth loss is progressive. This means that losing even one tooth puts the health and lifespan of surrounding, healthy teeth in jeopardy. 

And, without properly or quickly addressing tooth loss, patients can rapidly lose more teeth, eventually leading to total tooth loss. It is for this reason that experts estimate that nearly 40 million Americans are currently living with no natural teeth.

However, tooth loss doesn’t just impact the health and function of the teeth–it affects the health and function of the gums and jaw bones, too.

The gums, jaw bones, and teeth all rely upon each other for support. Subsequently, it is nearly impossible to have a healthy smile if any one of these structures is compromised. And, indeed, oral conditions will continue to dwindle at an alarming rate if damaged teeth, gums, and jaw bones remain untreated for too long.

But, how exactly does tooth loss affect the gums and jaw bones?

Without teeth, the gums have nothing to stimulate proper blow flow or nerve development. As a result, the gums begin to weaken and recede toward the jaw. But, it doesn’t just affect the gum tissue where the missing tooth is–it affects the gum tissue around healthy, neighboring teeth, too.

Once the gums begin to pull away from neighboring teeth, it leaves them vulnerable to dental decay and accidental injury. Not only that, but the receding tissue offers less support, which can lead to dangerously wiggly teeth. The result can be painful dental issues that ultimately lead to sustained tooth loss.

And, once the gums begin to deteriorate, the jaw bone isn’t far behind. In fact, experts estimate that the alveolar ridge (the bony arch that secures the teeth) loses approximately half of its width within the first 12 months of tooth loss. Shockingly, experts believe that roughly 30% of that bone loss happens within the first 12 weeks of tooth loss.

Dental implants prevent gum and bone recession by offering structural support. This structural support encourages better blood flow, increased tissue regeneration, and healthy nerve function.

Without the structural support that tooth implants offer, patients leave themselves vulnerable to continued oral health issues that quickly lead to or worsen systemic health issues.

How do Lakewood dental implants save my systemic health?

Systemic health refers to the health of the combined systems of the body. Simply put–systemic health is one’s overall health.

Research indicates that there is a natural connection between the relative health of the mouth and the rest of the body (and vice versa). Medical professionals frequently call this connection the oral-systemic connection, and it is a driving principle for modern dental care.

The oral-systemic connection is incredibly well-documented, as experts believe that poor oral health may be the cause or aggravator of numerous systemic health issues, such as:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Respiratory diseases
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Neurological disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease
  • Hypertension
  • Cancer
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Pregnancy complications

As previously stated, it is nearly impossible to have a healthy mouth if any structure is weakened or damaged. But, the health effects of a damaged smile don’t just stop at the mouth–they extend far and wide throughout the rest of the body, too.

Therefore, patients must address oral health issues, like tooth loss, as quickly as possible to prevent life-threatening, systemic health conditions, too. Otherwise, they may spend significant time and money treating the symptoms of an unhealthy mouth rather than treating the main issue.

With Lakewood dental implants, patients can treat the main issue (permanent tooth loss) with unparalleled stability, comfort, and longevity. In doing so, patients can then avoid catastrophic health problems while also enhancing their appearances and boosting their self esteem for years to come.

This means that tooth implants don’t just save one’s health–it saves their budgets, too. Because, rather than spending money on medications or treatments to mask the effects of a damaged smile, patients can save their valuable time and resources getting effective, long-lasting dental implants instead!

Schedule a Lakewood Dental Implant Consultation Today

Are you ready to save your smile, overall health, and wallet with top-notch Lakewood dental implants? Then, contact the friendly and knowledgeable team at Lakewood Dental Group today. We’ll happily verify your dental implant candidacy and explore all of your restorative options at a comprehensive consultation.

New and existing patients can request their consultations online here, or they may call our Dallas dental office at (214) 827-1885 now.