When you have a tooth extracted, replacing it is important for more than just your smile. There are many problems that come with missing a tooth, and there are benefits of replacing it with an implant. Here is some great information on missing teeth and dental implants.

A missing tooth can come with the following problems:

  1. Your remaining teeth can move closer to fill in that gap and leave you with wider spaces between your other teeth.
  2. You can have a difficult time pronouncing certain things, such as the letter "S," the sound made by the letters "TH," and others depending on where you are missing the tooth.
  3. When a tooth is extracted, that part of your jawbone doesn't realize it is still needed, and this can lead to jawbone deterioration in that area.
  4. Extracting a molar from your top jaw can lead to sinus issues due to the air pressure that occurs in your sinus cavity. This can cause an enlarged sinus as well as bone loss.
  5. An empty space from an extraction can cause pain when eating certain foods, like chips.
  6. An empty space in your gum can lead to trapped food that can be easily missed when brushing, and this can lead to other dental problems such as issues with the neighboring teeth.

 There are different types of dental implants available and other options. Here are some of the options you may have available to you:

  1. Subperiosteal dental implants are ones that go under your gum but are above the jawbone instead of being fused to it.
  2. Endosteal dental implants are ones that go into your jawbone. These implants are generally made of titanium.
  3. Same-day implants are implants that allow you to get a temporary tooth while you get your implant. This is an option for those with enough strong bone to support a same-day temporary tooth.

If you were told that your jawbone is not strong enough right now to support an implant, there are also options that help strengthen your jawbone so you may be able to get an implant. Here are some of the options that can help to strengthen and prepare a jawbone for an implant:

  1. A ridge expansion will help if you have a jawbone that is too thin for an implant. It involves adding bone graft material to create a wider area for the implant.
  2. A jawbone augmentation restores the jawbone when it wouldn't normally be able to support an implant.

Now that you have more information on options you may have available to you, you may feel better knowing that there are ways for you to get implants if you do have some problems. Also, you will have a better idea of why it is important to replace that extracted tooth.

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