If you've lost a tooth, you might put getting a replacement on the backburner. Like most dental problems, however, you should never delay getting your tooth replaced after you've had it come out. Waiting to have a lost tooth replaced can potentially endanger your oral health and even change your appearance. Read on to learn more about this and to discover the best way to replace your missing tooth.
Bone Loss
When you have a tooth fall out, that isn't the end of the loss you'll experience. The longer a tooth is missing in your mouth, the more bone you will lose in your jaw.
The body is designed to keep bones strong when they're exposed to pressure and weight. This is the same principle that keeps bones strong when you partake in weight training. In the jaw, biting down, chewing, and grinding your teeth is what keeps the jaw bones strong.
When a tooth falls out, pressure is no longer evenly distributed to the jaw. Part of the jaw will receive no pressure at all, since there isn't a tooth there anymore. Bone loss will begin, which can not only weaken the appearance of your jaw, but it can potentially harm more teeth.
Danger to Surrounding Teeth
When your bone weakens and becomes less dense, it can put surrounding teeth at risk, too.
Your body needs to have a strong jaw bone in order to keep all of your teeth in place. If the jaw becomes thinner, the teeth may not fit as snugly as they once did. This can lead to tooth loss over a prolonged period of time. In addition, the excess pressure that is now being put on your remaining teeth can result in grinding, chipping, and tooth damage that could ultimately cause you to lose those teeth as well.
Replacement Process
Thankfully, getting one tooth replaced isn't hard, and it's far more affordable than having to replace multiple teeth due to neglect. The best way to replace your missing tooth is to choose a dental implant.
Dental implants work a lot like real teeth do. A metal peg goes down into the jawbone like the root of the tooth once did, and the crown sits on top of your gumline, connected to it. This transmits pressure into the jaw like a real tooth, which will help to keep your jaw strong. Dental implants are also nearly indiscernible from real teeth, so there's nothing to feel self-conscious or embarrassed about.
Tooth implants are an easy way to make up for a lost tooth, especially if you act quickly. Don't let bone loss happen to you - contact a dentist about getting a replacement for your lost tooth as soon as you can.
Share26 October 2017
Being born with naturally soft teeth, I've spent a lot of time in and out of the dentist's office. Not only have I learned a lot about basic dental care, I've also discovered many tips for dealing with broken teeth, extractions, implants, and more. I decided that I wanted to make the most of my experience by sharing what I've learned with others. True first-hand experience is a great teacher, and I knew that my story could help. I created this site to do just that, and I hope that the information here helps you to understand what to expect from your dental problems.