There is nothing worse than trying to hide your smile because you are embarrassed by your teeth. If you have lost a tooth, you can end up feeling unattractive and unhappy about the way your teeth look.

Losing one or more teeth also changes the way that you eat; chewing food can become more difficult and you may tend to chew on just one side. If teeth have gone missing at the front and you have dentures, it is easy to feel afraid that they will ‘drop’ as you smile, exposing the fact that your teeth are false. Even worse, what if you chew something hard and the dentures get stuck in the food? In social situations this can be extremely upsetting but it doesn’t have to remain this way.

If you are suffering from missing teeth or dentures you don’t feel comfortable with, then dental implants may be an option to consider. Here are just three reasons why:

Recent scientific research has shown that ‘implant retained oral rehabilitation of missing teeth’ has a positive impact upon quality of life, including ‘occupational, health, emotional and sexual.’ This is no surprise as dental implants can look and feel like natural teeth. Because they are inserted directly into the jawbone with a titanium ‘root’, the surrounding tissues gradually integrate, resulting in an incredibly solid base. Crowns and bridges can then be attached to this, leaving your smile intact and your confidence at an all-time high.

This is a far cry from dentures, which people complain are not only inconvenient but also uncomfortable. There is also something very distressing about having to take your teeth out at night to clean them; something which definitely does not boost self-confidence. In fact, younger people can find it incredibly distressing to find that they are left with dentures, which is why dental implants can literally be a game-changer.

During the last thirty years, dental implants have become commonplace and it is now a routine for your dentist to fit you with implants that have been carefully created to replace your own missing teeth.

Whilst dental implants are artificial teeth, they look and feel entirely natural. In fact, once your implants are built and fitted in place where the missing teeth were, a look in the mirror will leave you delighted, finding it hard to distinguish your dental implants from the teeth that were present before.

In fact, implants can look so much better, as whilst you may have suffered from broken teeth or teeth that were crooked or damaged, your new implants will be a perfect colour and shape to match your face and the rest of your teeth.

In fact, dental implants can last a person’s entire life, unlike dentures, which require continual maintenance and replacement. Implants are incredibly comfortable and once patients get used to them, they can actually forget that teeth have been replaced. Another worry is that when missing teeth are not replaced, bone degeneration can occur, altering the shape of the face. Dental implants help to prevent this occurrence.

As to which type of dental implant you should have, your dentist will guide you with this while discussing your teeth restoration. There is more than one type of implant available including single tooth implants, multiple implants and all-on-four implants. After a thorough consultation, your dentist will advise you on the best option for you.

With dental implants becoming so popular, it seems that dentures really are becoming out-of-date very fast.