Are you aware that tooth loss is more than just a cosmetic embarrassment? While losing a tooth can have an immediate effect on your smile's appearance, it can also have a more dangerous, unsightly effect. The missing tooth roots don't stimulate the jaw bone any more after a tooth is lost. Bone loss starts to occur without that stimulation.
Thankfully, at Advanced Implant Dentistry and Oral Restoration in Cedarhurst, NY Dental implants can prevent bone loss by stimulating the jaw bone where the missing teeth once stood. Implants are the only form of tooth replacement that offers this kind of stimulus and can help preserve the bone.
So, what if you want to keep your empty tooth sockets and allow the bone to degrade? Here are a few common problems with chronic loss of the bone in the jaw:
1. Bite Changes
When no substitute is made for a missing tooth, it leaves a hole in the gum and jay bone where the tooth was attached. Over time, the neighboring teeth may shift to fill in the empty space, and your whole bite will change considerably. Changes in bite can make eating certain foods more difficult, and may even change the way you sound as you talk.
2. Altered Appearance
In addition to creating visible holes in the teeth, tooth loss can also affect your appearance by altering your bone structure. Because of the lack of stimulation the jaw bone degrades, it can affect the shape of the face and cause premature wrinkling around the mouth. Facial muscles can get weaker, and as the bone structure changes, the lips may appear thinner.
3. More Expensive Treatments
The longer you go without getting treatment for missing teeth, the more likely you will suffer bone loss. If bone loss becomes serious, therapies are costlier and even more invasive.
Schedule Your Dental Implant Appointment
Want to avoid the complications that come with tooth and bone loss? Dental implants in Cedarhurst, NY are a great treatment choice. To schedule a dental implant consultation with Dr. Waltuch, call the Advanced Implant Dentistry and Oral Restoration today.
