If you have a tooth that suffers significant damage and does not respond to conservative treatment efforts, your dentist might suggest extracting the tooth. This means gently removing the tooth from its socket in order to preserve the health of the rest of your smile. While pulling the tooth can benefit your oral health, you should also talk to your dentist about replacing the missing tooth.
Missing teeth can come with many complications that can affect the look and feel of your smile. Your dentist can recommend targeted dental restoration that will suit your unique oral health needs. Read on to learn details about the importance of seeking reliable tooth replacement treatment after an extraction procedure.
Why Do I Need to Replace Extracted Teeth?
Not all patients who undergo a tooth extraction will need to replace the lost teeth. Sometimes, a dentist will remove a tooth due to overcrowding in the mouth. Or they may extract wisdom teeth.
Besides these cases, a patient should seek tooth replacement for an extracted tooth. An absent tooth can leave a gap in the smile. But you may experience other dental complications beyond aesthetic concerns.
Missing teeth may make it difficult to eat, speak, and perform other oral functions as well as you once did. Plus, you could experience shifting teeth and bite problems that may increase your risk of further oral health problems like cavities or gum disease.
When you lose a tooth, the tooth root below the gums is also missing. The underlying jawbone then loses this stimulation, which can make the bone begin to deteriorate.
This can result in jaw shrinkage, affecting the health, structure, and appearance of the face and smile. Replacing the extracted teeth with help from your dentist can prevent these issues.
What Is the Best Way to Replace Missing Teeth?
Your dentist will evaluate your dental structure and oral health needs during a consultation to find the right tooth replacement treatment for you. If you want an affordable way to replace lost teeth, ask your dentist about dentures. They can fill gaps in your smile and allow you to chew and bite again. But the appliances will need replacement after a few years.
However, you can maximize the benefits of dental restoration through implant dentistry. An implant uses an anchor inserted into the jaw that fuses with the bone to create a strong, durable foundation that supports prosthetic teeth.
The anchor serves to replace the missing root of the tooth to keep the jaw healthy. Removable dentures that replace teeth above the gumline only cannot offer this benefit. Plus, implants can last two decades, much longer than dentures will.
Dental implants require a strong jawbone in order for the fusion process to happen successfully. X-ray imaging at your dentist’s office can ensure you are a good candidate for implants.
You will need some time to heal after a tooth extraction before seeking replacement teeth. Follow your dentist’s guidelines to complete dental restoration in a timely, healthy fashion. Prevent issues after your extraction treatment by following up with tooth replacement with your dental expert.
