3 Issues A Dental Implant Can Prevent

14 March 2016

Jaime Allen

Dental implants can be used to restore the look of your smile. Once a tooth is lost, the space that remains in your mouth can certainly mar your appearance. However the gap left by the missing teeth can cause other oral health issues that can be remedied by the application of a dental implant. Here are a few issues that a dental implant can be used to prevent:

Teeth Shifting Out of Place

Once a tooth is removed from the mouth, the remaining teeth have more room to move about. Over time, they can shift out of their original position, causing dental misalignment. This misalignment can be corrected using braces or other orthodontic devices. However, traditional metal braces are very costly  This expense can be avoided through the use of a dental implant. In addition, even if a misalignment is corrected, unless the gap left by the missing tooth is filmed, there is still enough space for the teeth to begin shifting again.

A dental implant fills in the empty space left by a lost tooth. Once in place, a dental implant serves as a place-keeper for the teeth that are adjacent to it.

Loss of Jawbone Density

The density of your jaw bone is maintained by stimulation from the bite pressure that is received as you bite or chew. However, once a tooth is lost, no bite pressure can be received at the site where the tooth once was.

The jawbone located beneath the empty space in your mouth can begin to atrophy. The diminishing of the bone density can eventually cause other teeth to become loosened in their sockets. This can lead to early tooth loss.

When a dental implant is installed, it is placed inside the jawbone of the patient. After a few months of healing, the implant, which is a titanium rod or screw, can be topped with an abutment. The abutment makes it possible for a dental crown to be added.

After the addition of the crown, the tooth can be used to chew or bite just as other natural teeth are. The bite pressure received by the jawbone at the sight of implantation promotes stimulation for the production of additional bone cells. As a result, bone density is maintained.

If you have a lost or missing tooth, schedule an appointment with a dentist in your area to learn whether or not you are a good candidate for a dental implant.

Share

Search