When faced with the reality of losing a tooth located toward the back of your mouth, you might assume there is no need to replace it. After all, no one can see it, right? While your missing tooth may not cause you to feel embarrassed or self-conscious, it can have a negative impact on the health of your smile as well as how it functions on a day-to-day basis. In this article, we will take a look at why it is necessary to replace a missing back tooth in Phoenix if you want to avoid more serious problems in the future.
You Can Prevent Bone Loss
The number one concern associated with tooth loss is the potential for deteriorating bone. When the root is no longer there to stimulate the jawbone, it will begin to weaken over time. As a result, your facial shape can change and begin to sag or collapse, causing you to appear much older than you are. With dental implants, you can easily replace your missing back tooth and maintain your youthful aesthetics as well as deliver stimulation to your jawbone, keeping it healthy and strong.
You Can Avoid Problems with TMJ
If you lose a molar, this sudden loss can cause a change in your bite to occur, resulting in additional strain and pressure being placed on your other healthy teeth and joints. As a result, the continued movement and stress can cause you to develop chronic jaw pain and eventually, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). However, if you replace your missing tooth, you can restore proper function to your bite and avoid potential discomfort to your jaw joints.
You Will Eat Without Worry
No one wants to be told they must give up the foods they love because of a missing back tooth. Unfortunately, when left untreated, it can change the way you chew certain foods, making it more difficult to eat harder, more dense foods. The added pressure placed on your other healthy teeth can cause them to wear down more quickly over time as well. By replacing your missing molar, you can once again eat the foods you love. This is one of the greatest benefits of dental implants is that you have fewer food restrictions than if you were to move forward with a fixed bridge or denture.
You Can Prevent Tooth Misalignment
As the bone deteriorates, your natural, healthy teeth will try to shift to fill the vacated socket. As a result, they will fall out of alignment and cause you to experience additional dental problems (i.e., overcrowding, crooked teeth) that make it difficult for you to maintain good oral hygiene. This can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and bite problems that require restorative care and/or orthodontic treatment. If you want to keep your teeth firmly in place, there is no better solution than a dental implant in Phoenix to replace your missing molar.
Just because your back teeth cannot be seen by others does not mean they are not important. Take care of your smile as a whole and enjoy the many benefits of a full set of teeth.
About the Author
Dr. John Ludu is a dentist in Phoenix who earned his doctorate at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Undergoing various specialty education courses, he has more than two and a half decades of dentistry experience. Dr. Ludu and the dental experts at Devoted Family Dental are here to ensure you maintain optimal oral health for a lifetime. This is why if you are missing one or more teeth, he and his team can easily repair and restore your smile with dental implants. If you need help to replace a tooth, contact us at (623) 444-6222.