Not everything that tooth loss does to your smile is immediately noticeable. You can see the gap in your smile (how well depends on its location), but you can’t see the empty space within your jawbone, or how that empty space affects the rest of your smile’s health and integrity. At our Brighton, MA, dental office, our goal in restoring your smile is to help you address all of the effects of tooth loss, including those that aren’t immediately obvious. For many patients, that means replacing lost teeth with one or more dental implant posts that can support their custom restoration.
The reduced stimulation in your jawbone
The roots of your teeth are responsible for a very important vital function within your jawbone – when you bite and chew, they stimulate it, which signals your body to send enough nutrients for all of your teeth. When you lose a tooth and its root, this stimulation is reduced, which results in your body sending your jawbone fewer nutrients. The longer this continues, the more likely your jawbone will lose mass and density over time, and the greater your risks of losing more teeth will be. Unlike more traditional dental prostheses, implants can prevent this by reestablishing the stimulation in your jawbone with one or more biocompatible posts.
The necessary modification of other teeth
Before dental implants, conventional dental bridges were the most common solution for replacing a lost tooth, or multiple adjacent teeth. Designed to closely mimic the healthy, natural teeth you lost, a bridge fits into the gap in your smile and is supported by one or a pair of dental crowns. The crowns are bonded to the remaining teeth nearest the space, known as abutment teeth, which have to be modified to accommodate the restoration. With the support of dental implants, however, a crown or bridge can be placed without having to rely on, or modify, your remaining teeth for support.
The heightened risks of future tooth loss
Whether it’s due to the modification of your healthy tooth structure or the reduced stimulation in your jawbone, or both, your risks of losing more teeth grow higher after losing even one. Because dental implants help you avoid both potential risk factors – they stimulate your jawbone and help you preserve your healthy tooth structure – they can also significantly reduce your chances of experiencing further tooth loss.
Address your tooth loss with dental implants
There are many different effects that come with losing one or more teeth, and dental implants offer the most comprehensive solution for addressing them all. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Brighton Family Dental Group in Brighton, MA, today at (617) 562-5210. We proudly welcome patients from Brighton, Watertown, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, and all surrounding communities.
