If you have missing teeth, making a decision to have them replaced is a big step. There are a lot of things to consider, but if you're interested in getting teeth replacements that look and feel as close to the real thing as possible, dental implants are what you're looking for. Here's why they're so much better than other alternatives, like dentures.

Discomfort and Unnatural-Feeling

Dentures are a time-honored form of replacing missing teeth, but that doesn't mean that they're the best choice. Dentures commonly cause discomfort and don't feel much at all like when you had real teeth in the same spot.

The reason for this is that dentures sit on top of the gums. Whenever a person with dentures bites down, the gums are exposed to pressure and friction, which can cause soreness and irritation. While there are methods of combating these problems, none of the solutions can make dentures feel any more natural; they only make them more comfortable.

What Sets Implants Apart

Dental implants aren't like dentures, in that they don't sit on top of your gums. Instead, a titanium implant is surgically inserted under the surface of your gums, and then the artificial tooth sits on top of that. The implant is effectively mounted into your jawbone.

When you bite down on an implant, pressure is placed on the implant itself, not the gums. This prevents irritation and makes it feel more like a real tooth.

How They Feel

Dental implants are the closest thing you can get to having a real tooth back. Real teeth have nerve endings inside of them, which dental implants don't. However, there are also numerous nerve endings that extend into your gums and the jawbone that supports your teeth. Although you can't see it above the surface, real teeth extend all the way to the upper or lower jawbone. This means that when you bite down on a real tooth, pressure can be felt in the jaw itself. 

When you bite down on the implant, pressure impacts these nerves and provides a similar sensation to when you bite down on something with real teeth. While it's not a complete match to real teeth, this is the only dental replacement method that allows the jaw to provide support to the replacement, which makes it feel significantly more like a real tooth than dentures or bridges do.

For more information about dental implants, contact a local dental office.