If you are missing a few teeth in your smile, you should know that it can affect much more than how people perceive you. Patients who are missing teeth are at increased risk for poor nutrition, tooth decay, and even jaw deterioration. To prevent serious oral health issues, our Grand Rapids dentist at Complete Health Dentistry recommend asking an experienced family dentist if you are a candidate for dental implants or other dental restorations.
In this blog post, we will go over how dental implants can improve your smile and overall oral health. If you are interested in learning more about the dental implant procedure, call your dentist today to schedule a consultation. The health benefits of dental implants include being able to eat a well-balanced diet, as well as preventing tooth decay and further tooth loss.
Keeps Teeth in Place and Prevents Cavities
Your teeth are held in place by tooth roots under the surface of your gums and surrounding teeth. This means that when you lose a tooth, you also lose part of what was supporting nearby teeth. Teeth that have nothing to lean against begin to tilt toward the open space and can even become loose over time.
Shifted teeth are also more vulnerable to tooth decay, which can lead to further tooth loss. To prevent further damage to your smile, we recommend consulting with a knowledgeable dentist to see if you are a candidate for dental implants.
Maintains Healthy Jawbone Tissue
Tooth roots help stimulate the bone cells in your jawbone. However, when you lose a tooth, your jawbone loses this stimulation and begins to deteriorate. In other words, your jawbone needs pressure from tooth roots in order to remain healthy.
The only way to stop jaw deterioration after losing a tooth is to fill the empty space with a dental implant. However, the longer you wait to start the dental implant process, the more difficult it will be to repair your smile. In severe cases, jawbone loss can lead to jaw shrinkage and facial collapse.
Helps You Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
When you are missing a tooth, it can be difficult eating your favorite foods. When this happens, you may restrict your diet to only those foods that are least painful to eat with the teeth you have left. Sometimes this means patients aren’t able to eat foods rich in the nutrients they need to be healthy.
It’s important to understand that your oral health is part of a larger system. When you are unable to eat nutrient-rich foods, it can have an effect on the bones in your body. It’s not uncommon for people who are missing one or more teeth to suffer from tooth decay and jawbone deterioration resulting from poor diets.
Whether you need one or several teeth replaced, you may want to talk to your dentist about dental implant restoration. Dental implants are a serious commitment, which is why it’s important you have all the facts so you can make an informed decision about your oral health.
Dr. Ritzema DDS at Complete Health Dentistry strives to help patients achieve their best smiles by offering his expertise in dental implant surgery. If you are interested in finding out if you are a candidate for dental implants or any of our other dental treatments, please feel free to schedule an appointment at our Grand Rapids implant dentist at (616) 458-7267.
