Sometimes, “out of sight, out of mind” can get us into trouble. If you can’t see something, it can be easy to forget that you have to deal with it. For that reason, some people who are missing their back teeth might forget to address the issue. But missing a tooth is a serious oral health problem, and neglecting to replace it can have consequences. If you’re currently missing a back tooth, here are a few reasons why you should replace it with a dental implant as soon as you can.
#1: Better Eating
Your molars are used to grind up tough foods, which allows you to digest them more easily. These foods tend to be some of the most nutritious, like chewy meat and fibrous greens. Whether they realize it or not, people missing a molar are having to do more work to digest their food and are therefore potentially losing out on vital nutrients.
#2: Preventing Bone Loss
Your body is incredibly efficient. If a part of your body isn’t being used, resources will be sent elsewhere. One of your jaw’s most important jobs is to hold your teeth in place; so, when a tooth falls out, the part of the jaw that once contained it is deprioritized. The result is bone loss in the area of the missing tooth.
This can have several negative effects, one of the worst being what it will do to the alignment of your teeth. When the jaw starts to shrink, it’s like pushing two ends of a rug together. The rest of your teeth will try to fill the gap, but will probably do so clumsily. Even if your teeth were perfectly aligned before, they won’t be after they shift.
Dental implants are great tooth replacement options because they’re held by your jawbone. Your jaw will have a job again, nutrients will return, and bone loss will cease.
#3: Stops Skin from Sagging
The gap in your smile might not look very large, but the subtle changes it makes to the way your face looks can have noticeable effects. Your skin is supported by your teeth and without them, your face may start to droop slightly. If you’re also experiencing bone loss in your jaw, that will make the problem even worse. If left unchecked, this sagging can cause wrinkles.
It can be easy to forget about a problem you can’t see, but a missing tooth won’t deal with itself. If you’ve recently lost a back tooth, you should see if it’s possible to get it replaced. Once you do, you’ll forget it was ever even missing.
About the Practice
Kingwood Family Dentistry knows the difference that a good dentist makes in the care that you receive. We want our patients to know that we offer the highest quality care available while making sure you’re completely comfortable. Our implant dentist, Dr. Mosby, has over 30+ years of experience in his field. We also partner with the best dental implant specialists in Harris County. If you have any questions about dental implants, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (281) 359-6672.