The American Academy of Implant Dentistry says there are more than 30 million Americans who have missing teeth, with 15 million people opting for crown or bridge replacements to fix the problem. In addition, there are 3 million people who’ve already resorted to the use of dental implants. Future-wise, projections for the dental implant market in the US are expected to reach $6.4 billion by the time 2018 sweeps in.

Dental Implant Benefits

There are quite a lot of benefits to having dental implants. However, here are the top four perks you could look forward to:

• Improved comfort. Dental implants aren’t the only way to go if you’ve got missing teeth. However, unlike dentures that can make it uncomfortable to eat or even painful to speak, dental implants spare you from a lot of discomfort, says WebMD. One of the best advantages of dental implants is that they look and feel like regular teeth. Plus, you won’t have to deal with any unpleasant impediments to your speech that dentures may cause. And dentures need to be “broken in”—it will take some time for you to adjust to their feeling in your mouth, which can lead to unpleasant discomfort. Asides from the procedure itself and the healing period, dental implants will immediately feel exactly like your real teeth.
• Better convenience. When you’ve got ill-fitting dentures to deal with, they can pop out in the most unwelcome times. You’ll also have to clean them regularly. Crowns and bridges may need to be replaced as they wear down or potentially become damaged over time. These are all worries that you won’t have to face with implants.
• Restore facial support. When you loose teeth, your cheeks—along with other facial muscles—lose support. When your skin sags, that can add years to your real age, especially if one or two of your teeth are now lost to you. You can keep yourself looking young by replacing missing teeth with implants. Additionally, dental implants will gradually fuse with your jaw bone over time, keeping them permanently in place and lowering your risk of additional dental problems or issues with your surrounding teeth.
• Durability. If you take care of your implants properly—brushing your teeth and following your regular teeth care routine, while continuing to go for regular check-ups—then you can look forward to your implants lasting for many years. That lasting perk makes your implants an excellent investment for your future dental health.
• Better dental health. After you lose a tooth, your surrounding teeth can gradually shift and move due to the gap left behind by missing tooth. With an implant in place, though, you could keep that from happening.

Implants feel so natural you’ll soon forget they’re even there. So if you’ve got missing teeth problems to deal with, consider looking into implants. You could hold those problems at bay by going for this procedure. As always, be sure that you have a thorough exam and consultation with your dentist first before you move forward. That way, you’ll know if implants are the best solution for you or not.