Are your missing teeth impacting your bite? Do you hide your smile because of gaps left by lost teeth? If you are missing one or more teeth, we offer dental implant treatment in our Williamsburg, VA, dental office. Restorative treatments like dental implants can prevent problems caused by lost permanent teeth. These problems can worsen over time, so it’s important to receive restorative dental care to renew your smile’s appearance and function before you face long-term effects.
Top 5 Problems Linked to Missing Teeth
Missing teeth create many problems that can affect patients in the long term if they do not restore their smiles:
Aesthetic Issues
Even a single missing tooth can make patients self-conscious about their smile. Patients may cover their smiles or not show their teeth when they smile because of their missing teeth. Restoring missing teeth will create a more aesthetically pleasing smile.
Tooth Decay
Patients who have already lost their permanent teeth due to decay may lose more permanent teeth over time. Harmful bacteria can also collect in gaps in the smile, leading to gum disease and tooth decay. Receiving treatment for dental and gum infections and receiving a restoration can prevent the reoccurrence of decay.
Difficulty Eating
Gaps in the smile can make eating hard or crunchy foods difficult. Patients may restrict their diet because of their smiles, which can lead to nutritional and digestive problems. Receiving a lasting, durable dental restoration will help patients eat the foods they love without restrictions.
TMJ Issues
Missing teeth create an unbalanced bite and can place more pressure on some teeth than others. This can lead to issues like TMJ disorders. The temporomandibular joints on either side of the face aid in biting and chewing. An unbalanced bite can contribute to pain in these joints, tooth wear, headaches, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Filling tooth gaps can help address TMJ to create a more balanced smile.
Bone Loss
Missing teeth leave an empty tooth socket without a tooth root or support to the underlying jaw bone. As a result, some patients can lose supportive jaw bone and experience bite problems. Restorations like dental implants can prevent further bone loss by replacing teeth at the root.
Restore Your Smile With Dental Implants in Williamsburg, VA
Dental implants are high-quality restorations that replace one or more missing teeth. A single dental implant comprises a titanium post inserted into the jaw bone, an attaching abutment, and a dental crown. Implants can replace single missing teeth with a crown or multiple teeth with a bridge or denture. If patients have experienced problems like bone loss, we can recommend bone grafting beforehand. We can also address problems like cavities and gum disease before implant treatment.
Call the Williamsburg Center for Dental Health today at 757-216-9873. You can also request a dental appointment with Dr. Stacey Hall online.