The Risks of Avoiding Tooth Replacement

You may have one of many excuses on why you are delaying to replace your missing teeth. Perhaps the missing tooth is not visible when you smile or talk or not causing any discomfort when you chew. You may also be prolonging a tooth replacement because of the expense or fear of the recovery procedure itself.

Regardless of your excuse, you should know that postponing or delaying tooth replacement can lead to a number of dental complications, including those that affect the aesthetics of your smile and those that impact your oral health. If such problems should occur, your smile repair investment will be far greater than the initial cost of dentures or dental implants.

Shifting Teeth

Think that just one missing tooth is no problem? Think again. Even a single missing tooth can cause your adjacent teeth to shift out of position. This may create a crooked smile and even affect the way you chew and speak. Additionally, shifting teeth and crooked teeth may also restrict your ability to clean your teeth properly – thus leading to problems such as gum disease and tooth decay.

Bone Loss

Missing teeth can also cause jawbone loss. It is a true fact that the jaw bone begins to melt away without proper stimulation by a tooth root. Jaw bone loss can cause premature facial aging and a sunken appearance in your lower face if not treated. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that prevents atrophy of the jaw bone. It is a more structurally complete solution than bridges and dentures because it includes a prosthetic tooth as well as an artificial tooth “root”.

If you wait too long to get dental implants after missing teeth, however, you may have to undergo bone grafting to ensure the success of dental implants. Although this procedure is commonly performed, it does add to the expense and recovery of your dental implants.

For more information about dental implants, call Gilreath Family Dentistry. We welcome the opportunity to restore your smile using the very latest in implants dentistry!