How Tooth Replacement Is Important for Dental Health
Timely tooth replacement helps to preserve your dental health, and it restores the function of lost teeth. It also improves the way your smile looks since missing teeth can ruin any smile. Most people will lose at least one of their permanent teeth at some point in their lives. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss, but other issues like tooth decay and trauma to the face can lead to teeth being lost.
Fortunately, you have a variety of tooth replacement options to choose from when replacing missing teeth. Some of the more popular oral prosthetics include:
- Implants
- Dentures
- Bridges
- Hybrid prostheses like implant-supported dentures
Why tooth replacement is essential for good oral health
Here are some of the reasons dentists recommend replacing lost teeth as soon as they fall out.
1. Preserves bone tissues in the jaw
Bone tissue breakdown in the jaw is one of the main negative consequences of failing to replace missing teeth. Just as is the case with muscle tissues, bone tissues need regular stimulation to remain healthy. They get stimulated when bite forces are transferred from the biting surfaces of teeth into teeth roots. This sends signals to bone tissues in the jaw to continue making new tissue cells.
When bone tissues stop getting stimulated, they start breaking down as the body reabsorbs them. The process is called resorption. Replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant replaces its missing root with an artificial one. The implant fuses with bone tissues in the jaw to become one with it, just like natural teeth roots. The implant is fitted with a restoration like a crown to replace the missing tooth.
When the patient bites down on something, bite forces are transferred from the crown into the implant, stimulating bone tissues in the jaw just like natural teeth roots. Implants are the only tooth replacement option that helps to preserve bone tissues in the jaw.
2. Prevents teeth alignment issues
Teeth naturally move towards gaps in a person’s alignment in an attempt to close them up. Therefore, failing to replace a missing tooth often leads to a person’s remaining teeth becoming misaligned. A bad bite leads to various other problems like an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease since crooked teeth are more difficult to clean. Replacing a missing tooth as soon as it is lost can prevent all this from occurring. Any oral prosthetic helps to prevent these alignment issues.
3. Restores the function of lost teeth
Missing one or more teeth can lead to a person putting additional stress on their remaining teeth. For example, a person might start chewing with only one side of their mouth due to missing teeth on the other side. Replacing a lost tooth restores its function so you can speak and eat normally.
Explore teeth replacement options
Give us a call or visit our San Francisco clinic to schedule an appointment with our dentist to learn more about the teeth replacement options that are best suited for you.
Request an appointment here: https://aestheticsmiles.com or call Aesthetic Dentistry of Noe Valley at (415) 493-9143 for an appointment in our San Francisco office.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Tooth replacement in San Francisco, CA.
Recent Posts
There are multiple tooth replacement options that a dentist can use to replace missing teeth. Most will lose at least one of their teeth over the course of their lives, and these teeth must be replaced to preserve dental health. Living with missing teeth can lead to issues like bone tissue loss, poor teeth alignment…
Tooth removal is popular and usually recommended when there is a significant injury to the tooth or in cases of severe tooth decay. The process of recovery after having a tooth removed is a concern for people are about to undergo the process or have done it. In this article, we covered a few tips…
Teeth are important. A healthy set of teeth not only helps you show off a fantastic smile, but it also helps you maintain good overall health. The absence of a tooth or multiple teeth can make common tasks such as chewing and speaking much more difficult.The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) reports that…
An emergency dentist treats oral emergencies. Most provide care to walk-in patients, but individuals may also schedule appointments for the same day. An emergency dental provider has the skills necessary to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions or trauma. Sometimes, patients do not have the time to wait for an appointment with their preferred…