Did you know that advanced gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults? However, you might also lose one or more teeth to physical trauma or severe tooth decay.
Regardless of the reason your teeth went missing, your dentist can provide dental implants to replace them. But if the space is in the back of your arch where no one will see it, you might wonder whether it’s worth restoring. Continue reading to learn about 3 dental problems you can potentially prevent by rebuilding your smile sooner rather than later.
Concern #1: Dental Drifting
Many people think of their teeth as immovable mounds in their mouths, but the truth is that they’re held in place with muscles, ligaments, and tissues with a natural capacity for movement. As a result, they are prone to shifting out of alignment to try to fill in any empty spots left behind by missing teeth. This can wear down your enamel unevenly or prematurely, leading to cavities, injuries, or other issues.
Thankfully, your dentist can help prevent this with dental implants. These are the only restorations that are surgically positioned directly in your jaw to look and function more like natural teeth, helping to keep everything in its rightful place.
Concern #2: Thinning Jawbone
Under normal circumstances, the roots of your teeth stimulate your jawbone each time you bite down, which helps keep it active and healthy. Unfortunately, when one or more fall out, you can lose up to 20% of the surrounding bone mass within the first year. This process of degeneration can eventually result in additional tooth loss that might otherwise have been avoided.
Dental implants are the only treatment that includes a support post that’s surgically embedded in your jawbone to function like a root. It can take 3 to 6+ months to recover from your procedure, because that’s often how long it takes to generate enough new bone to fuse with this pole to make it a more permanent part of your mouth, helping protect your dental health.
Concern #3: Altered Appearance
Many patients struggle with the changes to their appearance that often accompany tooth loss. Even if the tooth was in the back of your mouth, as your jawbone thins, the muscles and ligaments anchored to it grow slack. This can cause changes in your facial structure, such as a protruding chin or additional facial wrinkles, that you didn’t anticipate.
Only dental implants help preserve a healthy jawbone to preserve a younger-looking visage, regardless of where your now-missing tooth was located.
If you’re unsure whether you’re a good candidate for this treatment, you can learn more by scheduling an appointment with your provider!
About the Practice
At Burncoat Family Dental, people of all ages benefit from a team of dental experts who are passionate about helping them build and maintain beautiful, healthy smiles. Dr. Damerji and Dr. Iren, both accomplished general dentists, collaborate with Dr. Alyassi, a skilled endodontist, to provide a comprehensive menu of services under one roof. They have the specialty training and state-of-the-art equipment on-site to place and restore dental implants in the office for your convenience. If you need to restore lost teeth, you can request an appointment on the website or call (508) 852-0168.