Most common cause of tooth loss is due to mouth trauma, tooth injury, tooth decay and gum disease. Traditionally options to replace missing teeth included:
1. Do nothing
2. Bridge
3. Flipper
4. Denture
Now dental Implants are the preferred method of replacing missing teeth being a single tooth or multiple teeth that need to be replaced. Dental implant replaces the missing root structure by connecting directly to the jaw bone. Once the implant has properly adhered to the bone usually within a few weeks, (some cases longer) a crown can be placed on the implant restoring it to full function.
Beverly Hills dentist, Dr. Ebrahimi, recommends to replace missing teeth as soon as possible after the tooth is lost for the most predictable esthetic results.
Consequences of not replacing missing teeth include:
-Bone loss due to lack of bone stimulation and stabilization by the root.
-Teeth shifting which include mesial drift and supper eruption.
-Bite problems caused by bone loss and teeth shifting to their undesirable positions.
-A lost tooth can also affect facial structures such as the jaw, muscles, jaw joints, and even the skin. If several teeth are lost, it’s not uncommon to suffer from social consequences and ultimately poor nutrition.
Replacing missing teeth in a timely manner with implants can eliminate all the above issues and resulting in most predictable esthetic outcome.
