Missing teeth can be unsightly in your smile. But just one missing tooth can compromise the health of your entire mouth. Dr. Uttma Dham is highly experienced in dental implants in Plantation, FL. As a member of the International Congress of Implantologists, she emphasizes why you need to replace even one missing tooth, particularly with a dental implant.
The Health Impacts of Missing Teeth
A missing tooth takes the entire root structure with it. The teeth around it are then extremely susceptible to shifting and other problems. The teeth will move, trying to fill the gap that the missing tooth left. This leads to crooked teeth and can lead to bite problems as well. It can be difficult to eat or chew as well as normal, depending on where the tooth you lost is located in the mouth.
Losing a tooth or teeth can also contribute to more tooth loss. Tooth loss is often a case of extreme dental decay or gum disease. Either of these conditions loosens the tissues supporting your teeth. If left untreated, more and more teeth are going to be falling out. Replacing missing teeth helps prevent both of these diseases from coming back after they’re treated.
After losing the root structure of a tooth, you can experience bone loss in the jaw. This leads to facial sagging, another detrimental side effect of missing teeth. People will be able to notice the bone loss and missing teeth before your mouth is even open.
Solutions for Missing Teeth
At Westside Dental Center, we take on each case individually. Each patient with missing teeth will get a personalized treatment plan to solve their particular issues. We’ll analyze the condition of the bone in your jaw, overall oral health, and your personal concerns and goals for the look of your smile.
Dr. Dham focuses on implant-supported dental restorations. This is because the dental implant is the only restoration that can replace the tooth root. Replacing the tooth root gives the added benefit of preventing further bone loss in your jaw, and also gives extra stability to the restoration.
For a single missing tooth, a single dental implant will do the trick. The implant is topped with a custom-made dental crown that’s fitted to your specifications and color-matched to your smile. With dental implants, you have no extra care needed for your restoration. They look and feel like natural teeth, so you can just brush and floss as you normally would.
If you have multiple missing teeth, we can do an implant-supported bridge. Instead of anchoring the bridge on your natural teeth, we can use dental implants with custom crowns. Anchoring a bridge on your natural teeth can lead to wear and tear on the tooth, as well as an increased risk of tooth decay. Using implants as anchors can eliminate that risk.
With implant-supported dentures, worries of slippage and using adhesives can become a thing of the past. Dentures can replace an entire arch of teeth and can be stable and sturdy when they’re supported by dental implants. This allows you to eat a wider variety of foods than you’d be able to with removable dentures. You don’t have to worry about them falling out.
Dental Implants in Plantation, Florida
Don’t let missing teeth ruin your oral health. Call us today or schedule an appointment online to get dental implant restorations!