How Dental Implants Affect Your Overall Health

When you ask your dentist or an oral surgeon about the advantages of dental implants, they’ll probably spend a lot of time talking about how the implants benefit your oral health, such as by stimulating the jawbone to prevent it from becoming resorbed (which can increase the risk of further tooth loss). Indeed, the oral health advantages of dental implants should not be overlooked, but what about the rest of your body? How will choosing implants over more traditional forms of tooth replacement improve your overall health? Before you make any decisions whether or not dental implants are right for you, it’s important to consider some of the lesser-known advantages of the treatment.

Dental Implants Let You Eat a More Nutritious Diet

Did you know that wearing traditional dentures could reduce your life expectancy by 10 years? It may be seem like a shocking idea, but the reason why is actually quite simple: malnutrition. Researchers at King’s College London found that elderly people suffered a bite force reduction of 75% in the first 5 years of wearing dentures; that number increased to 97% after 15 years. A reduced bite force means that it becomes much harder to chew all kinds of foods – including the fibrous fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meat products that are important for maintaining a nutritious diet. As such, denture wearers end up not eating properly, making them more likely to be frail and nutritionally deficient.

However, this is not a problem with dental implants, which are estimated to provide 85 percent of the bite force that your natural teeth provided. Furthermore, dental implants keep your prosthetics firmly rooted in place, unlike dentures that might slip if they’re not fitted properly or if you’re trying to chew something particularly hard or chewy. As a result, dental implants will allow you to eat virtually anything that you could with your natural teeth, meaning you don’t have to make any drastic changes to your diet; you can simply eat whatever you want, including all of the nutritious foods that will keep your body healthy for years to come.

Dental Implants Help Protect You from Health Risks Linked to Gum Disease

Your oral health and overall health are connected; protecting one also helps protect the other. One of the ways dental implants can improve your oral health is by making it easier for you to brush and floss properly. Many people find it difficult to keep traditional dentures and bridges clean, which can consequently cause a buildup of bacteria and food particles on the gums. Such poor oral hygiene can easily lead to gum disease. Dental implants can be brushed and flossed in much the same way that you take care of your natural teeth, meaning you’ll be at less risk for gum disease overall.

So how does this benefit your overall health? Gum disease has been shown to cause bacteria and inflammation to spread throughout your body, which can put you at a higher risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, lung infections, and other issues that can either put your life in danger or drastically reduce your quality of life. Dental implants won’t prevent such issues altogether, of course, but because they make it less likely that you’ll develop gum disease, they can also help you avoid the health risks associated with the condition.

These are just a few of the ways dental implants can help you lead a healthier lifestyle. Our oral surgeons can go into more detail about the benefits as well as the overall procedure during a dental implant consultation. Learning as much as possible about the advantages that dental implants have to offer can help you decide whether or not they’re truly your best option.