Enjoy Your Smiles & Your Meals Again

It’s rare to see things that are truly game-changing.
When Dick Fosbury started “flopping” over the bar in the high jump people thought it was odd … until he started clearing heights better than anyone else. Today, the Fosbury Flop is the standard technique for world-class high jumpers.
In the world of restorative dentistry, dental implants were a game-changing development for people who had lost their teeth. Before that, dentures were (unfortunately) the best option for most people.
With implants, your teeth replacements can look, feel and function like natural teeth.
At Van Buskirk & Krischke DDS, our dentists in Crown Point, IN will be happy to answer any questions you have about implants. To find out if they are right for you, call 219-641-3422 to schedule a consultation.
 

The Root(s) of the Problem

Dentures can do a few things on their own. They can restore the appearance of your smile, and they can help you eat some foods.
As anyone who has had dentures for a reasonable amount of time can tell you, however, they aren’t the same as having your real teeth.
The biggest issue with dentures is that they don’t replace the roots of your missing teeth.
You may not have seen your roots, but they are quite important for your oral health.
First, your roots anchored your teeth in your jaw. That allowed you to generate more than enough force to bite into and chew the foods that you were eating.
Second, your roots helped your jaw stay healthy. Each time you took a bite or chewed something, you were pushing your roots into your jaw. Your jawbone responded to that pressure by making new bone tissue.
New tissue is necessary because without it, your jaw will shrink as old tissue is absorbed back into your body.
This also is why over time people with dentures need to have their dentures replaced. As your jaw shrinks, it changes the shape of your face and how your dentures fit.
With nothing to anchor your dentures in place, you can bite as well, and chewing can sometimes feel like a chore.
 

Hold Steady

Many people use denture adhesives … and don’t really like doing so.
Adhesive can provide some temporary help securing your dentures, but it probably isn’t going to give you the confidence to chow down on buttery corn or the cob. Besides, the taste of the adhesive can make what you’re eating less enjoyable.
Dental implants are a better solution for this problem.
Implants replace the roots of your missing teeth. Like your root, they are placed directly into your jawbone, This holds them securely in position, which means they can anchor your dentures to your jawbone as well.
For this reason, you can bite and chew practically as well as someone who still has a complete set of healthy teeth. In other words, you can order that steak just how you like it, and you can eat corn on the cob as your side.
Your implants also put pressure on your jawbone with every bite and chew. So, like your roots once did, your implants will stimulate new bone growth to keep your jaw strong and healthy.
 

Getting Small

Unfortunately, many people also wait too long to get dental implants.
Every month, every year that they live with traditional dentures, their jaws are getting smaller and smaller. If you wait too long, there may not be enough bone left to support a set of implants.
Thankfully, there is a great solution for that, too. Just as people continued to modify the Fosbury Flop to fit their own needs, researchers came up with innovative changes to standard implants.
One of those innovations was mini implants, which is another service we offer at our Crown Point, IN office. These are similar to standard implants but smaller. However, like their larger counterparts, mini implants can be used to secure dentures.
They won’t help you regrow lose bone tissue, but they can help you prevent further bone loss.
 

Eat, Smile, & Be Merry

By getting implants or mini implants, you could enjoy dining with family and friends again, and you can feel confident posing for a picture to post on social media.
Call Van Buskirk & Krischke DDS at 219-641-3422 or fill out our online form to get started on your teeth replacements by scheduling a consultation with us!