Thanksgiving may look a little different this year than it has in the past. Even so, we hope you find some way to spend time with family and friends (even if it is virtual). We also hope you have a delicious Thanksgiving meal as well as some leftovers in the days that follow.

If you are missing teeth, enjoying that meal could be difficult. You may have to pass on some of your favorite foods if you are unable to bite and chew them.

You can change that, maybe not in time for this year’s turkey, but you can restore your ability to eat anything you want. You can get dental implants at Sabal Dental. In Harlingen, TX, call 361-317-7226 to schedule a consultation.

Strengthen Your New Smile

Teeth replacements have been around in various shapes and forms for centuries. Dentures remain a popular option for restoring smiles, but they are missing something important. Dentures, by themselves, only replace the crowns of missing teeth. They don’t replace the roots.

Roots have a mutually beneficial relationship with your jawbone. When people bite and chew, their roots press into their jaw. That pressure stimulates the jaw to create new bone tissue. This is necessary to replace old tissue as it is absorbed back into the body. Without roots or implants to replace them, your jaw does not make new bone tissue.

That bone loss weakens your jaw. It also changes the shape of your mouth, which affects how your dentures fit. This explains why traditional dentures tend to become looser with time.

By getting implants, you are securing your replacement teeth, and you are providing the stimulus your jaw needs to remain strong for years to come.

Who Should Get Implants?

If you are missing any number of teeth, you should at least have a conversation about implants.

Someone with a single lost tooth can lose up to 25 percent of their bone density in the part of their jaw mouth where their tooth once was. It may go without saying, but you will experience more widespread bone loss in your jaw if you are missing more teeth.

Today, implants offer you much more stable and secure replacement options. An implant and dental crown is effectively a complete artificial tooth. Implant-supported bridges are a great way to fill gaps created by multiple missing teeth.

And implant-supported dentures can give you confidence that your new teeth will remain in your mouth. In fact, multiple studies have shown that people with implants for their dentures can bite with practically as much force as people with full sets of healthy teeth.

That means you can eat a wide variety of foods without worrying that your teeth will move around. You also won’t need denture adhesives since your implants are placed directly in your jaw.

Be Happy & Healthy

This holiday season, give yourself a new reason to be happy. Visit Sabal Dental in Harlingen, TX to find out how you can get dental implants as a part of your teeth replacements. To schedule an appointment, call 361-317-7226. You also can contact one of our other locations if that is more convenient for you.