If you’ve lost even a single tooth, it can have a long-term impact on the overall health of your mouth. A tooth implant provides a natural-looking replacement that ensures your other teeth will remain properly aligned and will also help maintain the health of your jawbone.
You might think that the loss of a single tooth isn’t important, especially if it isn’t a front tooth. However, any tooth that is lost causes the surrounding teeth to move out of position. This can lead to malocclusion, misalignment of the teeth, and can even shift the jawbone out of proper position. If the jaw moves out of alignment, the result can be temporomandibular joint disorder, which can create a variety of symptoms, including headaches, earache, and grinding of the teeth.[pullquote]Any tooth that is lost causes the surrounding teeth to move out of position.[/pullquote]
Malocclusion and misalignment can also cause the teeth to wear down and even to crack or break. In the long term, this kind of damage can cause you to lose even more teeth. If the missing tooth is replaced, the rest of your teeth will remain properly positioned, keeping the rest of your mouth healthy.
There are several options when it comes to replacing a single missing tooth. One option is a special denture that provides a new, artificial tooth that is removable. A crown and bridge provides a permanent replacement that is anchored to the adjoining teeth. These are both popular options, but neither one ensures the health of the jawbone. Instead, if you replace a tooth with a denture or a bridge, the bone where the tooth once sat will degenerate over time.
A tooth implant is the only tooth replacement option that is permanent, natural-looking, and keeps your jawbone healthy. Our periodontist or implant dentist places the implant directly in the bone. The bone then bonds to the titanium of the artificial root, which holds the tooth firmly in place and allows the root to stimulate bone growth over time. A tooth implant is the closest we can come to providing a new, natural tooth.
Call and set up a consultation with Dr. Carlos Letelier for more information.