June 7, 2017

‘Facing up’ to the reality of tooth loss

People experience tooth loss for a number of reasons. Mostly caused by decay, tooth loss can also be down to things such as sporting injury, trauma or bruxism. Missing teeth at the back of the mouth may seem less urgent to resolve as they cannot be seen by other people, however, without exploring replacement options a missing back tooth can actually have a significant impact on your appearance too.

How can a missing tooth affect my appearance?

Teeth play a significant role in the structure and shape of your face. Once a tooth or several teeth have been lost, it can cause changes to the face structure, making you appear much older than you actually are. Without teeth, there is no support for the lips and mouth, causing them to cave inwards and the jawbone underneath to change shape as well. This is due to the absence of the tooth’s root which plays an important role in maintaining the shape of your face. As soon as the root has been removed, the jawbone underneath lacks stimulation and starts to recede, causing face distortion and a more aged appearance.

What is the solution?

Dentures or crowns help with the aesthetic issue of missing teeth; however, they do not provide a solution for facial distortion. Placed over the gums, they do help to prevent the lips from collapsing, however the bone underneath still misses stimulation and will continue to recede. Dental implants are the only available treatment to prevent changes to the face structure. This is because a titanium screw is fixed directly into the jawbone to imitate the root of the tooth and re-stimulate the bone. An abutment is then added to the implant and a crown placed on top, so that it looks, acts and feels just like a real tooth.

Who do I go to for Dental Implant treatment?

Dental implant procedures are often conducted by specialist oral surgeons with specific training in implant surgery. To find a specialist that’s right for you, we recommend asking your dentist as they should be able to connect you with a trusted implantologist. We also believe that it is important for you to do your own research to ensure you have found practice you are comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to ask your implant specialist for previous testimonials or proof of qualification. At Ten Implant Centre, our specialist implant surgeons, Martin and Nik, have years of training and expertise in dental implants and are able to manage even the most complex cases. We understand that many people are anxious about having dental treatment and are sensitive to the needs of our more nervous patients.

To find out more about getting dental implant treatment with the experts at Ten Implant Centre, get in touch via our contact page or take a look at our testimonials page to see what some of our previous patients have said about their experience with us.

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