Why Replace a Missing Tooth?
A missing tooth may seem like mainly a cosmetic concern, especially if it isn’t visible when you smile. But the space left behind can affect your chewing, bite, neighboring teeth, and jawbone over time.
Replacing a missing tooth can help restore both function and confidence while protecting your long-term oral health.
1. Keep Neighboring Teeth From Shifting
Your teeth help support one another. When a tooth is lost, the neighboring teeth may gradually drift or tilt toward the empty space.
This movement can change your bite and make certain areas more difficult to keep clean.
2. Maintain Your Ability to Chew
Every tooth plays a role in breaking down food. Depending on its location, a missing tooth can make it uncomfortable or difficult to chew on that side.
Replacing the tooth can help restore a more balanced, comfortable bite.
3. Help Preserve Jawbone
Your tooth roots stimulate the bone surrounding them. After a tooth is removed or lost, that stimulation disappears and the bone in the area can gradually decrease.
A dental implant is placed into the jawbone and functions similarly to a natural tooth root, helping maintain stimulation in the area.
4. Restore Your Smile
If the missing tooth is visible, replacing it can make a noticeable difference in your smile and confidence.
Modern dental implants are designed to look and function much like natural teeth.
5. Support Long-Term Oral Health
Leaving a space untreated can contribute to shifting teeth, changes in your bite, and bone loss. Replacing the missing tooth can help maintain the overall stability of your smile.
Is a Dental Implant Right for You?
Dental implants are one option for replacing missing teeth. An implant typically consists of a small implant placed in the jawbone, an abutment, and a custom crown that replaces the visible portion of the tooth.
Every patient is different, so an evaluation is important to determine whether you have adequate bone and whether an implant is appropriate for your situation.
Missing a Tooth? Let’s Talk About Your Options.
At Dr. Pull It in Burlington, Wisconsin, we offer single-tooth dental implants and free implant consultations.
Our single-tooth implant fee is $3,500 and includes the implant, abutment, and crown.
Schedule a free implant consultation to find out whether a dental implant could be the right option for your smile.