Tooth loss can be very distressing. It can have a vast impact on your appearance, making you appear far older than you really are. This can, in turn, make you feel less confident and less prepared to tackle opportunities and challenges in your life.
This aging is not just a symptom of having gaps in your teeth, which means you need to worry about it even if you’ve lost a tooth in the back of your mouth. The structure of your face can change dramatically.
But tooth loss can carry more serious consequences, too. The bone around the area of the missing tooth can start to weaken and decay very quickly. This is, in fact, one of the core reasons why dentures can start to develop a loose, unpleasant fit.
Bone loss can spread. It can also destroy your gums. This means all of your other teeth are at risk when you lose your first one.
As it is, someone who opts to get a bridge instead will often need to get other, healthier teeth removed simply to allow for bridge placement. And because a bridge never touches a bone, a bridge procedure can only speed the decay.
The reason why a lost tooth can mean lost bone is that the jawbone relies on the stimulation from the teeth in your mouth to stay strong. If it isn’t being used it will atrophy. If you’ve ever broken an arm or a leg and seen the state of bone and muscle after removing the cast you have some idea of how this process works.
Dental implants provide a safe, affordable answer to the problem. The implant will continue to stimulate the jawbone, preventing this devastating decay.
The dental implant process looks more intimidating than it really is. During the procedure you’ll be sedated, so you don’t have to worry about pain as the implant is being placed.
Most after-procedure side-effects disappear in one or two weeks.
After the procedure most patients report that their implants are comfortable. They’re also as useful as any other tooth in their mouth. They don’t move, click, or shift, and they allow you to eat any food that you’d have been able to eat before you lost your tooth.
Best of all, nobody can tell the difference between an implant and a regular tooth. They look exactly the same! That means you prevent all of the embarrassment and self-consciousness that can come from having missing teeth.
Your oral health is important. Don’t wait another day. If you live in Edmond, OK please request an appointment to set up a dental implant consultation today.
