Can Dental Implants Improve Emotional Health?

Research supports what we hear from our patients every day: Tooth loss can exact a heavy toll on our emotional mental health.

Often, patients with tooth loss turn to us because they are fed up with avoiding social interactions where they need to talk, smile and eat. These individuals, as a result, may start to feel inferior to other people. They may worry they look older than others their own age, and may develop social anxiety from the embarrassment of missing teeth.

Statistics from the CDC show that 1 in 8 adults 65 years or older have complete tooth loss. That means that, in addition to the concerns about the relationship between chronic physical health conditions and tooth loss, there’s an emotional toll that tooth loss can promote, with feelings of depression, anxiety, self-doubt and a lack of confidence.

In a study by experts at Newcastle University in the UK, researchers noted that “Tooth loss isn’t usually thought of as an illness or taken as seriously as needing a knee replacement for example. People feel it’s acceptable to make jokes about false teeth, but we may have underestimated the distress that tooth loss causes.”

Dental Implants to the Rescue

Our dental implants at Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics offer patients today’s best, long-term solution to failing or lost teeth. The replacement teeth will look, feel and function like regular teeth. The only folks who can tell they’re not totally “natural” will be you and your dental professionals. And there’s more:

Restoring Self Esteem

When people feel better about their appearance, they can feel more confident. Personal relationships can improve, as can overall quality of interactions in general when people enjoy more fulfilling social lives.

Enhancing Appearances

Individuals with dental implants can communicate more comfortably, without hesitation, because they know their smiles look more attractive and healthier. They no longer need worry about tooth loss accelerating the deterioration of their facial structure (which it can), causing them to look older. Dental implants help keep the jawbone from shrinking.

Feeling Healthier

A healthy smile means you can once again chew the foods you love, often after years of struggling. When you regain the ability to chew, you don’t have to limit yourself to “mushy” foods and can improve your nutritional intake with the kinds of healthier foods you may have once avoided.

There’s no doubt that the psychological impact of tooth loss affects confidence and self-esteem in so many ways. By restoring your smile with dental implants, we can help you improve your quality of life.

Take the first step on the path toward a healthier, more attractive smile by contacting us for a consultation today! And please don’t forget that referrals from other professionals are always welcomed but are not required.