The appearance of your smile may be the most obviously affected thing after the loss of a tooth. However, the functionality of your bite may be affected even more after tooth loss. Though it may be in ways that are much less obvious. Your bite can become imbalanced, your jawbone weaker, and there may be negative consequences for your remaining teeth. In most cases, dental implants can address tooth loss in a way that faces these possible negative consequences head on. When paired with a custom-made dental prosthetic, a dental implant can address the loss of one tooth, a few, or most of your smile.
Your teeth are a big part of your face and smile. If you are missing a front tooth, you may feel it more important to replace that tooth because you see it’s loss every day in the mirror. However, if a tooth is further back, it can play an unseen role in your smile. Even missing just one tooth can be problematic for the way you bite and chew. Your teeth also have roots that stimulate your jawbone, which is what causes your body to send it enough nutrients. Losing a tooth and its roots can mean losing nutrients for your jawbone. Over time, your jaw can grow weaker leaving the rest of your smile in danger. By replacing these lost roots with a dental implant, it can help provide that stimulation to keep your jaw strong and full of nutrients.
Dental implants are small titanium (a biocompatible material) posts that are inserted precisely into your jawbone, which then heals and fuses to the surfaces of your implant posts. This makes the posts a part of your jawbone that can support a dental prosthesis like a crown, bridge, or set of dentures, with the same stability as your natural teeth roots.
Implant dentistry can help restore your smile after tooth loss. To schedule a consultation at Austin Prosthodontics, call 512-250-9444. We also proudly welcome patients from Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Leander, and all surrounding Texas communities.