There was a time when losing a permanent tooth meant saying goodbye forever, or at least until you lost enough teeth to justify replacing them with dentures. Luckily, you now have choices for replacing one, several, or all of your teeth. However, most options focus only on filling the gaps left in your smile by the vacating teeth and do not address the deeper concerns of losing your tooth’s root. Fortunately, dental implants offer an innovative solution to replacing lost teeth that also helps prevent the continuing damages of tooth loss.
Resounding Consequences of Tooth Loss
Unlike a broken fingernail, a lost tooth is typically not discrete. The closer the tooth was to the front and center of your smile, the better the chance that the newly formed gap will be noticed when you smile, speak, or eat. Many people are confident enough that such a minor cosmetic issue would not deter them from enjoying their smiles to the fullest, but there is not enough bravado in the world to prevent the unseen consequences of tooth loss.
Your tooth’s root, which is embedded in your jawbone, acts as a messenger of sorts. When tooth roots are stimulated through biting and chewing, your body knows to send your jawbone nutrients to support those roots. If the root is lost, the body will notice and redirect those nutrients where they can be used elsewhere throughout your body. The nutrient deficiency will cause your jaw to slowly deteriorate, and further tooth loss becomes almost imminent if action is not taken to prevent it.
Halt Jawbone Deterioration with Dental Implants
A dental implant is a small rod that, as the name suggests, is surgically inserted into your jawbone. The implant is made of biocompatible titanium, ensuring that your jawbone accepts and fuses to it. Once healed, the implant(s) can be used to support your dentures, crown, or other tooth replacement. Since the dental implant provides stimulation like that of your natural tooth roots, deterioration is largely prevented and you significantly reduce your risk of losing more teeth to a weak jawbone.
