How Could Dental Implants Help Me Live Longer?

Tooth loss can have a significant impact on a patient’s overall health, and the problem can only get worse as more teeth are lost. Studies have suggested that losing many teeth can reduce someone’s life expectancy and diminish their overall quality of life. Here’s how extensive tooth loss can drastically affect your overall health and how dental implants can help you get the nutrition you need and live longer.

How Can Tooth Loss Affect My Oral Health?

Like every other part of the body, the jawbone needs stimulation and exercise to stay healthy and strong. This stimulation normally comes from the teeth during the chewing process. After a tooth is lost, so is the stimulation it provided, and the jawbone that supported the tooth will soon begin to atrophy and recede. As this bone structure continues to diminish, it can pull the neighboring teeth out of alignment, making them more vulnerable to injury and harder to clean. The loss of a single tooth can lead to a continuing cycle of tooth loss.

How Can Tooth Loss Affect My Overall Health?

Your teeth do a lot more than just give you a pretty smile. They also allow you to chew a wide variety of foods to get all the nutrients your body needs to remain healthy and strong. Unfortunately, extensive tooth loss can make it difficult for someone to tear meat off a bone, bite into an apple, or munch on nuts or other hard foods. This can make it significantly more difficult to eat a varied and colorful diet.

This lower-quality diet can have consequences for the rest of the body. Severe tooth loss is associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other medical conditions that can get in the way of a patient’s quality of life.

How Can Dental Implants Help Me Live Longer?

The good news is that dental implants look and work like real teeth, allowing patients to restore their smiles and once again enjoy the benefits of a complete set of teeth. Once a dental implant has been placed, it can prevent or reverse the atrophy of the jawbone by providing it with stimulation during the chewing process. Dental implants also allow patients to enjoy any food they could with a full set of real teeth, meaning that they can easily enjoy a rich and balanced diet that has all the nutrients they need to keep their bodies healthy.

Dental implants can work wonders for a patient’s overall health as well as their appearance. Consulting with your dentist can determine if dental implants are a good course of treatment for you.

About the Author

Dr. Eric Barajas earned his dental degree at the UCLA School of Dentistry, and he has completed countless courses on subjects like dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, and operative dentistry. He is a proud member of the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the Academy of General Dentistry. His office in Chula Vista, CA offers general, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry as well as dental implant treatments. To learn more about what dental implants can do for you, contact the office online or dial (619) 482-7367.