Many people who lose their adult teeth seek replacements, like dental implants, to reform their smiles as soon as possible, especially if the gaps are easily noticeable. But if you’ve lost a molar, you might wonder whether it’s necessary to replace it. After all, no one is likely to see it, so it’s natural to wonder if it’s worth the time and resources required to restore it.
But there are other advantages to replacing missing teeth you might not know about! Continue reading to learn 3 excellent reasons to consider rebuilding your grin with dental implants!
Benefit #1: Preserve Jawbone
There are potentially several ways to restore your smile, but dental implants are the only option that involves oral surgery. Unlike dentures and dental bridges, these artificial teeth contain support rods that are embedded into your jaw. It can take several months to recover after this procedure because your mouth must generate enough new bone growth to fuse with the biocompatible materials.
Then, your prosthetics essentially are a permanent part of your mouth and function like the roots of teeth to stimulate your jawbone. This keeps it active and healthy enough to continue serving as a firm foundation for your remaining pearly whites and can help prevent additional tooth loss.
Benefit #2: Maintain Facial Structure
Did you know that your jawbone helps maintain your facial structure? After adult teeth fall out, you can lose up to 25% of the surrounding bone mass within the first year. As the structure thins, the muscles, ligaments, and tissues connected to it grow slack.
This can result in sunken or hollowed cheeks, as well as additional facial wrinkles, which might make you look older than you feel. That means replacing your missing molar with a dental implant can help you preserve a younger, healthier-looking visage, even if you can’t see the tooth itself.
Benefit #3: Avoid Misalignments
Another excellent reason to replace a tooth in the back of your mouth is to avoid dental drifting. Unfortunately, after teeth fall out, the ones left behind are prone to shifting out of alignment to fill in the empty spaces. This can wear down your enamel prematurely or unevenly, which increases the likelihood of decay, disease, and injuries.
Rebuilding your grin with dental implants helps ensure that everything remains in its rightful place to protect your oral health.
As you can see, there are several advantages to replacing your lost molar with a dental implant, even though you may be the only one who can see it!
About the Practice
At United Dental Centers of Hammond, patients benefit from a team of dentists eager to help families enhance their lives by improving their oral health. Our dedicated providers share decades of combined experience and collaborate to offer a comprehensive menu of services under one roof, including replacing missing teeth. With general dentists and a periodontist available, we can place and restore dental implants in the office. You’re welcome to request an appointment on the website or call (219) 933-4900.