Dental Implants And What You Eat

Don’t let lost teeth compromise your diet as you get older.

Very often, as we grow older, our appetites start to decrease and we may eat less food as we become less active. This can present problems in obtaining sufficient nutrition to keep our bodies as healthy as they could be. Add to this, the fact that many older people may have lost a lot of teeth, or wear dentures, and the problems are compounded.

So how can our older patients from the Burton and Ashby areas avoid this by having dental implants, a strong, stable alternative to ill fitting dentures, placed? Increasingly, implants are becoming a solution for the many, not the few, and although the cost can seem quite prohibitive on first inspection, the medium/long term benefits are considerable and well worth it.

The ‘problem’ with dentures

Whilst dentures do provide a very good cosmetic replacement for missing teeth, their stability can be an issue for some patients. This is largely due to bone loss in the jaw which occurs when teeth are lost. This can make dentures less secure and move around in the mouth.

When this happens, it leads many denture wearers to become cautious about what foods they are prepared to eat in an effort to avoid embarrassment. Whilst it is possible to have a healthy diet of soft foods, any restriction on variety can present problems as well as significantly reducing the enjoyment people experience when eating their meal.

Dental implants

Whilst dental implant placement is an invasive procedure and not the cheapest solution, the long term benefits are excellent. Instead of dentures that move around in the mouth, you can have replacement teeth that are as strong, and very often stronger, than your own natural teeth. Implants can be used to replace individual missing teeth or even to replace a full arch of teeth, using four or more dental implants to hold a fixed bridge of teeth in place. This modern method of teeth replacement will enable you to eat a completely unrestricted diet, improving your enjoyment of food, and very possibly your overall health and confidence too.

Considerations

An important part of the dental implant process is the initial consultation. This is where our experienced local dentists will discuss the procedure with you and take scans and x-rays to determine whether you are a suitable candidate. It is also important that we consider health implications and life-style too, as both of these factors can have a significant bearing on implant success.

For patients who feel that the procedure may prove to be stressful, or for anxious patients in general, we offer intravenous sedation to allow you to have the treatment without concern of pain or discomfort.

If you are worried about the condition of your teeth as you approach the later stages of life and would like to continue to enjoy your food and maintain confidence without the worry of loose dentures, please call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347.

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