For the most part, your smile looks great. It’s pearly and has a consistent line-up – right until you reach the very back, where you’re missing a molar. But no one’s going to notice that unless they’re way too close, right? So would it be such a big deal if you went without something like a dental implant?

At first, this would mostly come down to your comfort level. But over time, dental replacements become more and more important for your oral health. Here’s what you should know!

Dental implants look just like “real” teeth. They’re the same size, shape, color, and surprisingly feel nearly identical in texture, too. They even work just like them, allowing for the most bite force of any prosthetics, thus enabling you to eat a wider variety of nutritious foods. But one question a lot of people ask about these lifelike restorations is, “can my dental implants get cavities like real teeth do?” and it’s easy to understand why. After all, they do seem pretty realistic. Thankfully the answer is no, however that doesn’t mean you don’t still need to take care of them. If you’re wondering what kind of oral health issues you can still encounter with dental implants and why it’s so important to maintain them, keep reading.