For some people, getting changes made to their teeth seems like a matter of vanity. As long as you're able to speak and eat fairly well, you might feel like you just need to tolerate having missing teeth. However, that's far from the reality of the situation. If you're missing at least one tooth, dental implants can do a lot more for you than just making you look good. Read on to learn about all the benefits of dental implants that go far beyond your appearance.

Jaw Structural Strength

Dental implants serve several purposes, including emulating the natural functionality of your real teeth. In short, real teeth help to keep your jaw strong, and dental implants can too.

Real teeth consist of both the tooth above your gums and the underlying structure hidden beneath your gums. This includes the root of your tooth, which goes all the way down to your jaw. When a tooth is healthy, it transfers any pressure put on the visible part of the tooth to the underlying part of the tooth. This stimulates the bone to become stronger, and thus your jaw strength is maintained.

Dental implants perform this same function because they have a post beneath them that goes under your gums and into the jaw, just like a tooth's root. If you don't want your jaw to become weaker or brittle, dental implants are a great idea.

Eating Functionality

Another thing that dental implants can do for you is to help you to eat normally again. Even if you're only missing a single tooth, that means that all the remaining teeth have to pick up the slack. This can cause increased wear and tear on your remaining teeth, increasing your chances of losing them at some point too.

With a dental implant in place, you won't be able to tell the difference between how it felt to eat after you got implants and before you lost a tooth.

Others' Impressions

Lastly, while it may seem to you that only you care about how your missing tooth makes you look, don't be fooled: other people care, too. Numerous studies have discovered that people unconsciously judge others based on the quality, appearance, and whiteness of their teeth. Missing teeth made people look less inviting in social activities, job interviews, and even on dates. Getting a dental implant can help you to negate this effect on your appearance and the reaction others have to it.

Dental implants are remarkable tools that can restore your mouth to its former function and appearance. Don't criticize yourself for wanting your smile to look good. Getting a dental implant will have your smile looking great again and you can rest easy knowing that your health will benefit, too.

Contact a dental office like Jacob L. Revercomb DMD for more information and assistance.