Gaps Affect Your Whole Smile

Losing just one tooth can have a significant impact on your oral health. North Hollywood, CA, dentist, Dr. Michael Amir of Dental Planet, discusses how tooth loss affects your entire smile and explains how dental implants can help you.

What happens when you lose a tooth?

Although you might think your problems are over once a decayed, damaged or painful tooth is extracted, you may face several unpleasant consequences if you don't close the gap in your smile with a replacement tooth. The severity of the problems may vary depending on the number of teeth you've lost, but may include:

• Shifting Teeth: Your teeth rely on each other to remain upright. The loss of one tooth causes the other teeth to begin to shift. As the teeth move, they begin to overlap, which causes appearance issues and may affect your ability to chew comfortably.
• Cavities: When teeth overlap, it's hard to wedge a piece of dental floss between them. Unfortunately, if you don't remove plaque from these areas, your risk of tooth decay increases.
• Weak Jawbone: Tooth roots help keep your jawbone strong. After a tooth is lost, the section of the bone underneath starts to shrink. If there is significant shrinkage, the bone will no longer be able to support your teeth adequately.
• Aging: A receding jawbone can't support the muscles in your face as successfully as it once did. Sagging muscles and a resulting increase in wrinkles tend to make you look older.

Dental implants help you avoid tooth loss consequences

Dental implants offer one important advantage that other tooth replacement options don't - the ability to replace lost tooth roots. Implants are screw-like pieces of titanium that are placed inside your jawbone during minor oral surgery. The implants don't just rest in your jawbone, but actually bond to it, creating a stable foundation for the dental crowns that will later be attached to them.

When you visit Dr. Amir's North Hollywood office for implants, you'll avoid bone loss and premature aging. Because dental implants fill in the gap in your smile very effectively, your teeth won't shift, which will prevent bite issues and lower your tooth decay risk.

Why not schedule an appointment to find out if dental implants are right for you? Call North Hollywood, CA, dentist, Dr. Amir of Dental Planet, at (818) 506-2977 to arrange your visit.