The loss of a tooth, or several teeth, can often seem cosmetic. After all, the appearance of your smile with one or more natural teeth missing can be the most noticeable aspect of the condition. However, replacing one or more lost teeth is more important than just restoring your smile’s healthy, full, and attractive appearance. Today, we explain why it’s important to replace lost teeth for the sake of your bite function and long-term oral health, as well. Also, we’ll explore why dental implants can be the most beneficial option for restoring your smile after tooth loss.
Your bite’s function depends on it
Your teeth aren’t just the most visible parts of your smile, they’re also the most active parts of your entire body. Every time you bite and chew your food, each tooth relies on those around it to withstand the pressure of your bite without sustaining damage or being forced out of alignment. The empty spaces created by tooth loss can disrupt this balance and have a negative impact on your bite’s ability to function properly. This can lead to several additional oral health concerns that could exacerbate your risks of losing more teeth in the future, and replacing the ones you’ve lost already could be the most effective way of preventing them.
Waiting could lead to more lost teeth
The loss of one or more teeth is often the result of another underlying oral health concern. For instance, most people experience tooth loss due to the destruction of their dental ridge caused by severe gum disease. However, the loss of your natural tooth structure creates even more trouble for your oral health, including raising your risks of developing problems that lead to further tooth loss. In addition to restoring your smile and bite function, replacing lost teeth with the right custom-designed dental prosthesis can be an important step in preserving the rest of your healthy, natural teeth long-term.
Dental implants can offer more lifelike results
Losing teeth has many different consequences to your oral health that stem from the loss of your natural tooth structure. This structure not only includes the visible crown of the tooth, but also the root that’s integrated into your dental ridge. When a tooth is uprooted, the surrounding bone structure loses stimulation and, as a result, mass and density over time. With dental implants, you can replace the roots of your lost teeth as part of your smile restoration, which offers more lifelike results for your smile and reestablishes stimulation in the appropriate areas of your dental ridge.
Learn more about replacing lost teeth
Replacing one or more lost teeth as soon as possible with the right custom-designed prosthesis can be essential to preserving your oral health as well as restoring your smile. To learn more, schedule a consultation with us by calling the office of Dr. Stuart Dexter in Prairie Village, KS, today at 913-362-8200.