Hello Ashley,
Implants help to replace lost teeth.
Teeth are replaced for three primary reasons:
a) for function - to allow you to eat and speak well
b) for appearance - lost teeth can leave embarrassing gaps in your smile and make you look older
c) to prevent drifting of adjacent teeth and prevent overloading of remaining teeth. When a tooth is lost, it can lead to neighbouring teeth tilting and moving out of alignment. This can affect the health of remaining teeth.
There are different ways of replacing lost teeth. You can make dentures (removable artificial teeth) or bridges (artificial teeth fixed to adjacent teeth). Implants are artificial teeth held by bone.
Whether it is "worth it" to have dental implants depend on many factors such as your general health, the amount of bone you have in the extraction sites, the condition of your remaining teeth, the way you bite and of course your personal values.
The decision to have dental implants or not, is a personal one made after consultation with your dentist who understands your dental condition and who can discuss the pros and cons of all the alternatives.
