As well as affecting the appearance of your smile, missing teeth can lead to more serious long-term issues for the rest of your mouth. Implants provide much needed stability and strength, offering a permanent solution that will stand the test of time.
A Team Effort
Your teeth rely on each other for support. If one goes, the others surrounding it can begin to shift over time becoming crooked and misaligned. This can cause problems with your bite and lead to headaches and other pain as the joints are placed under additional pressure. It also can make it hard to reach everywhere when cleaning, and the resulting decay may cause gum disease and further loss of teeth.
What can happen with a missing tooth?
A gap can cause a range of other problems as the structure of your teeth is weakened and can even lead to further tooth loss. Implants will provide the support needed to keep your teeth straight, in place and looking great.
Your teeth support your jaw
Another problem that can develop over time is bone loss, or bone resorption. Without the tooth’s roots connected to the jaw, tissue in the bone can be broken down and calcium there transferred into the blood. With nothing there to stimulate bone growth this process will continue over time and the jawbone may shrink, changing the shape of your face.
How do implants work?
A dental implant is a titanium post that is inserted into the bone. A crown can then be constructed to attach to the implant to replace the missing tooth. This will be carefully crafted to match the rest of your teeth, completing your smile and giving you full functionality. They can replace one or a series of lost teeth, and are not prone to decay.
When implants were originally invented, 4–6 months of healing was required for the implant to fuse to bone before a porcelain crown could be attached to it. With today’s newest technologies, in some situations a crown can be placed immediately.
Can food be a problem?
With your dental implant, you will able to bite through the toughest of steaks and crunchiest of carrots, chewing your food properly and preventing indigestion. This also means you’ll avoid overusing surrounding teeth as you compensate for the one missing. Cleaning will be easier and food will not get caught, preventing potential gum problems and decay.
What if I am missing multiple teeth?
If you are missing more than one tooth or even all of your teeth, you may still be suitable for dental implants. Dental Implants placed into the jawbone act as a foundation for us to then place a prosthesis that can have multiple teeth on it. These are also called dental bridges, but they are supported by implants instead of our natural teeth.
