Tooth loss can occur for any number of reasons. A tooth may be compromised by injury, or extensive decay may render it unsalvageable.
An absent tooth has wide ranging effects. The most noticeable is the impact on the smile’s appearance. If the missing tooth is in a prominent area, the resulting gap will detract from the smile.
Dental implants can replace missing teeth and restore a natural appearance to the smile.
Dental implants can replace missing teeth and restore a natural appearance to the smile. The implant, which is a titanium screw-like structure, holds in place a remarkably lifelike prosthetic crown that is tailored to match the patient’s biological teeth.
A periodontist can surgically place dental implants to stand in for missing teeth. The procedure is completed in the office in a matter of hours.
The benefits of dental implants are not merely aesthetic. Another side effect of tooth loss is atrophy of the jawbone in the vicinity. A tooth’s root serves as an anchor for the bone, and when it is lost, the bone begins to wear away.
Dental implants address this problem, too. In replacing the tooth’s root structure, dental implants stabilize the jaw, preventing bone loss. Because the jawbone is hidden from view, this may seem to be relatively unimportant, but a shrinking jaw can prematurely age a person, and it may put the other teeth at risk for being lost, as well.
Other tooth replacement alternatives only fill in for the visible portion of the missing tooth, but they fail to serve as a structural duplicate of the root.
Because dental implants replicate the entire structure, they also do a better job of preserving the tooth’s function. A missing tooth can affect the ability to chew or speak, but an implant often will maintain most of these purposes.
The effects of tooth loss can be dramatic, but dental implants are effective at picking up the slack for missing natural teeth. Consult with Drs. Susan Karabin and Edward Gottesman, your periodontal experts serving New York City, to learn if dental implants are an appropriate intervention for your case. Call 212-756-8890 to schedule your visit.
