If your dentist is discussing the idea of dental implants with you, they may have mentioned that dental implants are extremely helpful in keeping your jaw bones strong. This is true, but you might if you want to know the specifics as to why that is, you've come to the right place. Read on to learn more about how dental implants can keep your jaw strong.

Why Dentures Are Inferior

If you're considering a full set of dentures or already have a set, you might be wondering why this doesn't have the same impact on your jaw. While it's true that pressure is distributed evenly across a full set of dentures, the pressure doesn't impact the jaw as deeply as real teeth. This is because dentures sit on top of your gums and can only apply pressure to the top of your gums. Some of that pressure will make it down to the bone, but it won't penetrate as deeply. This means that your jaw may weaken over time.

How Implants Work

Dental implants are particularly useful for keeping your jaw strong because they emulate the way that real teeth work. Real teeth are able to send pressure deeply into the jaw bone due to the roots that descend down from the visible part of the tooth well into your jaw. Dentures don't have anything like roots, but dental implants do.

When you have dental implants installed, your dentist will install a metal post in your jaw. This goes for about the same depth as the roots of a healthy tooth would go. When you bite down on that tooth, pressure reverberates down the entire dental implant and its post, just like a real tooth would. This will keep your jaw strong and encourage your bone to stay thick and healthy. Your teeth rely upon your jaw to keep them in place and to stay healthy, and your jaw simultaneously relies upon your teeth to keep inducing pressure. It's a win-win situation for your teeth and jaw.

Dental implants are a great way of keeping your jaw in a healthy state, whether you need a full set or just a few. If you have remaining teeth, a healthy jaw will help to keep those teeth healthy, meaning you're less likely to lose them in the future than if you had a bridge or partial set of dentures. Talk to your dentist if you're interested in getting dental implants to keep your oral health in tip-top shape.