dental implants BedfordIf you have lost even one tooth, the resulting impact on your oral health can be significant. Furthermore, the type of tooth replacement you choose can also have effects on the condition of your smile. Here are four effects that missing teeth can have on dental health. Consulting with an oral surgeon may help you to mitigate these effects.

  • Missing teeth lead to jawbone erosion: The roots of your teeth help to secure your jawbone, so when those roots are absent, the jawbone will wear away. The connection between other nearby biological teeth and the bone can be compromised. By functioning like an artificial tooth root, dental implants help to prevent this outcome.
  • Missing teeth can compromise the stability of surrounding teeth: If a missing tooth is lost and not replaced, the other teeth will shift to fill in that space. That process will move the teeth out of their proper alignment and can subject those teeth to unusually strong forces that can damage them.
  • Missing teeth can limit your ability to chew properly. Your whole mouth is designed to work together to chew food. A missing element can make it harder for you to chew, causing you to eliminate certain foods from your diet. You may not get all of the nutrients you need for a healthy smile – and a healthy body.
  • Missing teeth can complicate your oral hygiene routine. If you replace a missing tooth with a fixed dental bridge, you’ll lose access to your gumline in that area and will need to use special tools to floss at the site. Dental implants, on the other hand, stand alone and require no such adaptation to your oral hygiene habits.

Dental implants offer a structurally complete tooth replacement option because after the oral surgeon inserts them into the jaw, the bone in the vicinity fuses with the dental implant, which becomes a fixture in the jaw. These devices are unique in this way, as other tooth replacement alternatives lack such a root-like structure.

Don’t let tooth loss devastate your smile. Explore your treatment options, including dental implants. Contact us today and schedule a consultation with oral surgeon, Dr. Chris Tye, to get more information on the tooth replacement method that will best meet your needs.

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