When you lose a tooth that’s right in the middle of your smile, you’ll probably want to have it replaced as soon as possible. But what if the tooth in question happens to be a molar near the back of the mouth? Do you really need to bother replacing a tooth no one else will see? This is a bit of a trick question; replacing teeth is not just about restoring your appearance, its about keeping your entire mouth healthy. In this post, you’ll discover the 4 major reasons to use dental implants in Ponte Vedra Beach to replace a missing back tooth.
1. Improved Chewing
The teeth are all meant to work together to chew food. If even one is missing, eating can become far more difficult, and this can end up restricting your diet options. Dental implants have strength and stability comparable to real teeth, so once they’ve fully integrated with the jaw and have been properly restored, you can use them to eat virtually anything you want.
2. Prevent Dental Deterioration
The other teeth will be forced to endure the force that would normally have been distributed to the missing tooth. As a result, the teeth will wear down much faster. Excessive erosion of the enamel can lead to fractures and even further tooth loss. This can be especially devastating if you lost your back teeth, thus increasing the burden on the front teeth that are not really designed to withstand the rigors of chewing.
3. Stop Dental Drift
Teeth have a tendency to shift out of place when there’s too much empty space between them. After a tooth is lost, the adjacent teeth will start to move into the gap, causing a chain reaction that could end up changing the alignment of your entire smile. Filling in the gap with an implant will prevent such dental problems.
4. Bone Resorption
The bone tissue around the socket where a tooth was lost will start to break down so that the body can use the raw materials in other areas. As the bone mass shrinks and weakens, the features of the face will start to shift and sag due to a lack of support. Dental implants will provide the bone with the stimulation it needs to preserve its density and overall structure, thus preventing bone loss from occurring in the first place.
There can be no question; when you lose a tooth, no matter if other people can see it or not, the best option for your oral health will be to replace it immediately. Get in touch with your dentist right away to ask about implants or other treatments that can be used to repair your grin.
About the Author
At Ponte Vedra Complete Dentistry, Dr. Townsend and Dr. Harth work together to provide comprehensive dental solutions that leave patients feeling truly comfortable and confident with their smiles. Dr. Harth has earned a Mastership from the International College of Oral Implantologists, and Dr. Townsend is part of the North Florida Implant Continuum: both have plenty of experience when it comes to placing and restoring implants. If you’d like to schedule an implant consultation with them, visit our website or call (904) 285-7711.