With dental implants, we can provide strong, natural looking tooth replacement that has the potential to last a lifetime. When you lose one or more teeth, both your appearance and oral health can suffer. Dangers related to tooth loss can include an older appearance and poor alignment. We always urge our patients to see us as soon as possible to discuss tooth replacement options. Otherwise, your overall health can suffer.
4 Dangers Related to Tooth Loss
- Loss of Jawbone Density: The body will register the loss of your tooth roots, and in response, suspend the flow of calcium and phosphorus to the jawbone. Without these nutrients, the bone dissolves, leading to loss of jawbone density. This can cause patients to take on an older appearance and increase the risk of further tooth loss. However, dental implants can stimulate jawbone growth and prevent facial collapse.
- Trouble Eating: Without a full smile, eating a variety of foods becomes difficult. You may have to rely mainly on soft foods, which can deprive your body of essential nutrients. However, by replacing your lost tooth or teeth you can regain your ability to eat more solid foods.
- Difficulty Communicating: Often, advanced tooth loss makes a person hard to understand when speaking. But by using dental implants to replace the lost teeth, your ability to speak clearly can return. For advanced tooth loss, we can actually secure a full prosthetic with multiple implant posts.
- Misalignment: When you lose teeth, the surrounding ones may actually drift from their positon due to the gap in the smile. Misalignment can lead to a greater risk of tooth decay, gum disease, TMJ disorder, and bruxism (teeth grinding). However, by talking to you dentist about toot replacement, you can help safeguard your smile against these issues.