There are a number of side effects related to living with missing teeth. One or more missing teeth can make you feel self-conscious about your smile, cause you to have difficulty eating, lead to the misalignment of other teeth, and bone loss in your jaw. These are all serious side effects that can have an impact on your daily life. Fortunately, dental implants are a tooth replacement option that can help you eliminate these issues once and for all.

Feeling self-conscious about your smile

As an adult, having one or more missing teeth can lead to feelings of shame and self-consciousness. There are various reasons why an adult can end up with missing teeth: decay, gum disease, and injury are three common reasons. Even if the tooth loss was the result of events beyond your control, it can still lead to feelings of self-consciousness. Dental implants are an option for tooth replacement that can help you feel confident about your smile once again. Dental implants are customized on a case-by-case basis which means that you can get an implant that matches the surrounding teeth in terms of size and color. A well-designed dental implant will look natural and have you smiling with confidence once again.

Having difficulty eating

Living with one or more missing teeth can make eating difficult. One missing tooth can make the task of eating slightly frustrating or a little annoying. Two or more missing teeth can make it almost impossible to freely eat all the types of food that you enjoy. If you have missing teeth you may find yourself cutting out certain foods completely. Dental implants can eliminate your difficulties with eating because they function just like your natural teeth. Once you have the dental implants installed you can treat them like your natural teeth when you eat and drink.

Developing misalignment of your other teeth

One or more missing teeth can lead to the misalignment of the surrounding teeth. When a permanent tooth is lost it leaves a void. The surrounding teeth often move in response to that void. This shifting of your teeth can lead to misalignment that causes pain, makes eating difficult, and undoes the work of braces or aligners. If you act quickly after losing a tooth and get a dental implant, shifting can be avoided. A dental implant serves the same purpose as your natural teeth when it comes to keeping everything aligned.

Losing bone mass in your jaw

There are also consequences of losing a tooth that occur under the surface. When you lose a tooth you also lose the root of that tooth. Losing a root can lead to the deterioration of your jawbone in that area. If your jawbone continues to deteriorate it will eventually lead to the loss of surrounding teeth. A dental implant is placed into the bone of your jaw and acts as an artificial root. Eventually, the implant post and surrounding bone will fuse together to create a strong replacement root that halts the deterioration of your jaw bone.

If you have one or more missing teeth, dental implants may be an option for tooth replacement. With dental implants you can eliminate the side effects of missing teeth and start living your life fully once again. The first step in the process of getting dental implants is to meet with your dentist to determine if you are a good candidate. You can get the process started by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Singh.