A knock to your confidence

As anyone who has ever lost a tooth will tell you, it is never a pleasant experience. Adult teeth are constructed from the strongest naturally occurring material in our entire bodies – called enamel – however, even that is not accident or lifeproof. If you have lost a tooth, the sooner you seek out treatment such as implants from Sheen Dental Implants in Richmond, the sooner you can restore your smile to full health. If you wait a prolonged period of time without filling in a space within your mouth – which can often seem to be a tempting option for those who have lost a tooth which is hidden or obscured from vision at the backs of their mouths – it can cause a number of issues. However tempting, doing so can result in all number of adverse consequences which extend both to your dental health as well as overall wellbeing. This is why it is advised that those who have lost a tooth seek out permanent, structural treatment such as dental implants, as soon as they possibly can.

What’s the worst that can happen if I have an untreated space in my mouth?

Having a missing space within your jaw is actually more common than you may think, as there are an estimated 27 million adults across the UK who are thought to be living with gaps in their smiles caused by missing one or more teeth. However, despite this high number, leaving an untreated space in your jaw can have serious ramifications. One of the most impactful of these consequences is the entire facial shape and structure of a person becoming altered. This happens as the bone tissue above and around the affected tooth is reabsorbed by their body’s natural healing process, which results in a visible loss of bone density. This can often add years to a person’s assumed age, and is seriously difficult to reverse without extensive cosmetic treatments. Another common health problem which can come about though not replacing a lost tooth, is that the existing teeth within the person’s mouth can shift out of place as time goes on. This can cause severe discomfort, and leave people requiring extensive, and often costly, orthodontic treatments to get their smile realigned.

How do implants work?

Unlike conventional methodologies which are used to replace lost teeth – such as dentures or bridges – dental implants are permanently fixed in position within the patient’s mouth. This is achieved by surgically embedding a titanium-alloy tooth root within their jawbone and leaving it  to fuse. After the natural fusion has taken place, the implant will be permanently fixed in one place and is therefore perfect to be used as an anchor-point from which a denture can be attached. This denture will not only look identical to the surrounding teeth, but will also feel the same. As they derive their strength from the patient’s jawbone – as a natural tooth would – they can be used to the same extent that natural teeth can be, without any fear of the implant becoming loose or failing to properly chew. Anyone who has lost a tooth – be it recent or in the past – could potentially be benefitting from the support that dental implants afford patients, and ought to speak to a trusted professional provider at their earliest convenience.