It is important to replace missing teeth as soon as possible to protect your oral health. When you experience tooth loss, this throws the balance of your teeth off, which can cause surrounding teeth to wear and break faster. This increases your risk of developing gingivitis or periodontal disease and can lead to more dental problems if left untreated. Furthermore, when a tooth is missing from the mouth, the bone structure around it starts to weaken and shrink over time. This causes the shape of your face to change due to the lack of support for facial muscles. Replacement options like implants or dentures can help preserve the integrity of remaining teeth and ensure that tooth loss does not further compromise your oral health.  

WHAT ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS?

When it comes to missing teeth, dental implants offer a solid base for the replacement tooth (a crown, dental bridge, or denture). An implant is a small titanium screw that we place in the jaw in place of the root of a missing tooth. Over a few months, the implant fuses with the bone to form an anchor for the restoration. If your jawbone isn’t strong enough for an implant, we can perform a bone graft to strengthen the jaw in preparation for an implant.