A human adult has 32 teeth. If his or her wisdom teeth have been removed, then he or she has 28 teeth. And yet the average American adult between the ages of 20 and 64 has just 24.9 teeth, according to data from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Even using the small starting figure, this means the average American will lose three teeth in his or her lifetime. As we get older, tooth loss becomes more likely. Indeed, 1 in 10 adults over 50 years old is missing all their original teeth. This makes our team at Sunrise Dental think about what life is like for people with no teeth. More importantly, it makes us think about how we can help. If you are one of those people who is missing a tooth or teeth, then we encourage you to talk to us about dental implants. Our dentists offer this service at each of our locations in Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, and Cary. The Downsides Of Edentulism People who are edentulous have lost all their teeth. If you are not one of those people, try to imagine what it would be like. Odds are, you don’t remember much about what your life was like before you had teeth. Back then you were eating nothing but liquids and mushy foods like pureed peaches, peas, and sweet potatoes. We are guessing that your would prefer to not have to return to that kind of diet. In addition to the flavors, there’s just something satisfying about biting into a juicy steak or some fried chicken. When you don’t have teeth, that’s a lot harder to do. And don’t forget about the psychological impact of losing your teeth. When people ask to see your smile, they mean they want to see the real thing. This means showing your teeth comfortably and naturally. If you don’t have teeth, your smile is different. But it’s not just your smile that’s affected. You may become hesitant to introduce yourself to new people or the speak to them out of fear that they will just you by your (lack of) teeth. Restore Your Smile With Dental Implants Let’s assume for a minute that you have lost every tooth on one arch of your mouth. What would change about your life? If you could bring your mouth back to its full function, would you want to do that? We know that we would, and dental implants can help you regain your quality of life. Dental implants are meant to replace the roots of your lost teeth. Like the roots, your implants serve as anchors. With implants, they support the replacements for the crowns of your missing teeth. In this scenario, we would encourage you to consider implant-supported dentures. Thanks to the technology available in our offices, we can precisely plan the placement of a series of implants in your jaw. Those implants can be used to support a set of dentures, that are more secure and much more stable than traditional dentures. In fact, implant-supported dentures are so strong that many patients regain close to 100 percent of their original bite force. In other words, you can keep eating the hamburgers, fried chicken, and any other food that you enjoy eating. Protect Your Teeth With Implants Now, let’s go to the other end of this spectrum. You were playing a game of pickup basketball when you got caught in the mouth with an accidental elbow. One of your teeth falls out and can’t be put back in place. What should you do? In this case, we would encourage you to get a dental implant with a dental crown. You may think a single tooth isn’t worth worrying about. Then again, you may change your mind as more and more people ask what happened. Plus, that single missing tooth can cause you to lose up to 25 percent of your bone density in that part your mouth in just 12 months. If you allow the space in your mouth to remain vacant, then you risk more bone loss and eventually more lost teeth, too. A dental implant can help to preserve the health of your jawbone, and a dental crown will provide the mutual support that your old tooth once provided to its neighbors. Keep Smiling Our goal is to help you keep as many teeth as you can for as long as you can. Even so, we know that many people will lose one or more teeth. If you do lose a tooth or teeth or you already have, Sunrise Dental and our dental implants can help you maintain your confidence in your smile and in your ability to eat the foods that you like. You can learn more by visiting or calling any of our dentist offices in Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh, or Cary. Request an appointment to get started.