Dental Implants for Missing Teeth

Missing teeth can do far more than diminish a person’s physical appearance. They can additionally set the stage for further tooth loss by undermining the underlying bone structure, forcing the remaining teeth to overwork, and increasing the likelihood of chips, cracks, fractures, and infection, among many other things. Fortunately, it’s often possible to correct tooth loss with dental implant procedures. Dental implants for missing teeth can create complete, healthy smiles and balance out bite forces.

Dental Implants are Stable and Strong

A dental implant is a strong, stable structure that will look, fit, feel, and function just like the tooth that’s been lost. Best of all, you can continue brushing and flossing your teeth just like you normally would after an implant has been installed. With proper care, regular dental visits, and occasional adjustments, dental implants for missing teeth can last for many years.

Balance Out Bite Forces and Protect the Underlying Bone

Given that each of the teeth plays an important role in supporting verbal communication and chewing, having even one missing tooth can compromise the integrity of your entire bite. When biting, tearing, or grinding hard, chewy, or crunchy foods, all of the remaining teeth will be forced to work much harder than they should. This additional effort and the resulting wear and tear can create stress fractures in the remaining teeth that open the door to serious infection. Moreover, whenever the jawbone is not tasked with the challenge of supporting natural teeth, it will begin to deteriorate.

With dental implants for missing teeth, titanium posts are implanted directly into the jawbone. Once they’ve effectively been grafted in, these strong, supporting structures will promote the continued delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the bone structure. This is not the case with dental bridges and dentures that lack titanium posts and that may actually accelerate bone deterioration in some instances.

Retain Your Natural Smile and Face Shape

Tooth loss can additionally affect overall facial aesthetics by giving the cheeks a sunken and hollow appearance. That’s why people with unresolved tooth loss often look far older than they truly are. With dental implants for missing teeth, titanium posts provide the same level of facial support that the natural tooth roots do. With little to no bone deterioration and with replacement structures that fill the smile back out, you can maintain a natural, youthful appearance despite having lost teeth due to injury or extraction procedures.

Articulate with Ease

Teeth play a very important role in the formation of certain words and sounds. That’s why people who are missing multiple teeth often have a hard time enunciating. If a person opts to correct tooth loss with poorly sized dentures or with other replacement appliances that do not offer a secure and stable fit, they’ll have to speak and use their facial muscles with extreme care. When dental implants are installed instead, however, talking, chewing, and making a diverse range of facial expressions will be both natural and easy.

Improve Your Life Quality with Dental Implants

Beyond preserving bone density, protecting the natural teeth, and making it easier to enunciate and chew, dental implants for missing teeth can dramatically improve your overall life quality. As the world becomes increasingly appearance-conscious, dental implants can even help increase your personal and professional marketability.

Make an appointment at Cascades Center for Dental Health in Sterling to learn more about dental implants. Contact our office today to schedule an initial consultation!