Dental Implants in Smyrna, GA

Any time a tooth has to be taken out, it is almost always the case that it needs to be replaced. Read more to find out why this is the case, and how dental implants have become the gold standard for replacing teeth.

Teeth are moving

All of your teeth are supposed to touch other teeth, whether the ones that are next to them or the ones on the top or bottom when you chew. Teeth are always looking for this contact, and if it gets disrupted or lost, they will try to get it back. This means that once a tooth is removed, the teeth around that space will drift and tilt into it.

This process is usually faster the younger you are, and once it gets started, it is very difficult to reverse. Once teeth have lost their ideal position, they can develop a variety of problems like root exposure and sensitivity or even loosening. For this reason, the attitude of “I’ll just get this tooth taken out” is almost never as simple as it sounds, because often pulling one tooth causes a string of problems in the teeth around it.

Tooth loss causes bone loss

Bone seems rigid and hard, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t active and and alive. Every bone in your body is invisibly changing and remaking itself based on the forces that it experiences. You may have heard that weight-lifting can help the bones in your body grow stronger and denser. In the same way, the forces you put on your jaws by chewing are helping to keep your jaw bones healthy and full.

On the flip side, once that force goes down or goes away, bone will adapt. If a tooth is taken out, the jaw bone under it senses that it is no longer bearing force. Your body is always trying to use resources efficiently, so it will begin to withdraw support from that area, causing the bone to shrink. After a tooth has been removed for a while, the bone in that area might have a noticeable concavity. This can make dental treatments more challenging, can expose nerves in your mouth, and can cause your gums to become misshapen.

What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root made of titanium. It is placed into your jaw bone and anchors in a ceramic tooth crown. Titanium is a proven body-compatible material which actually fuses with your bone so that the tooth which goes on it is completely stable.

Unlike a natural tooth root, a dental implant cannot get cavities. As long as it is kept clean and free of disease, dental implants often last a lifetime.

If you think you may need a dental implant, give our office a call to schedule an evaluation today!