How Can I Smile With Confidence?

Smiling, quite simply, makes us happy. Scientists have shown that smiling for even brief periods of time, even if you aren’t in the mood to do so, can increase your feelings of happiness. The very act of smiling boosts the hormone levels associated with happiness, and lowers the levels of hormones associated with stress. These biochemical factors create a “loop of happiness” as endorphins are produced and brain signals are transmitted to facial muscles that then send a signal back to the brain, which in turn, produce even more endorphins.

But what happens when we no longer feel comfortable smiling? How does a lack of comfort with smiling, and the resulting lack of “happy” hormones flooding our brains affect us – especially in ways we might not always notice? Living with even one missing tooth has the potential to impact self-esteem and lower levels of self-confidence. While it’s easy to understand worrying about how we look with a missing tooth, or feeling like we are missing out on eating favorite foods, some of these more invisible effects can be even worse for our sense of wellbeing.

In the past, the available solutions for replacing teeth were limited and non-natural looking. The good news is that now, there are not only effective and long-lasting ways to address missing teeth, there are a wide variety of solutions to consider based on your unique situation.

Dental implants are now the standard of care for missing teeth. Better than older solutions such as dentures and other removable appliances, dental implants look, feel, and function like natural teeth. They also help prevent bone loss caused by missing tooth roots and do not require adjacent teeth to be ground down. Along with these major benefits, other important reasons to consider dental implants include:

A dental implant merges with your body
Even the best prosthesis will always be a foreign part that requires extensive care. By contrast, a dental implant is simply an artificial root, which after it heals, merges with your body and acts likes a natural root.

Dental implants preserve your facial structure
Dental implants transmit chewing forces to your jawbone. This is not the case if teeth are missing or when a conventional prosthesis has been put in place. If these forces cease, the bone may slowly recede and the shape of your face may change over time.

Dental implants not only restore your smile, they allow you to improve and maintain it
Functionality and visual appearance go together. An implant-borne restoration looks like a natural tooth - there is simply no visible difference, and special care is not required.

You can feel more comfortable talking, smiling and eating
With dental implants, palatal plates required with conventional dentures are not necessary. You will feel more comfortable talking, smiling and eating.

Dental implants are natural looking and natural feeling replacement for missing teeth
Unlike other tooth replacement options, dental implants don’t slip or click when you talk, laugh or eat. And they help keep your jawbone healthy, so your facial structure stays intact.

The decision to replace missing teeth with dental implants is not only an excellent investment in your oral health and appearance; it’s an investment in your “happiness factor” and your mental health. Dental implant therapy – a lifelong investment in your smile – is more than just a solution for tooth restoration. It can vastly improve your quality of life.

So, if you notice yourself smiling less, or feeling more and more self-conscious or frustrated to fully laugh or eat your favorite foods, talk to your dentist about whether dental implants might be a solution to get you smiling again.