Is losing a back tooth(molar) a big deal?

Throughout the course of a lifetime, teeth may be lost for many reasons including decay, gum disease and accidents. While losing just one tooth may seem unimportant, single tooth loss can actually starts a chain reaction in the mouth. The loss of a single tooth can compromise your eating habits, speech and appearance. When a tooth in the back of the mouth is lost, it can lead to numerous problems such as affecting your ability to chew food well and to properly clean your teeth. Losing a tooth also can compromise the health of your remaining teeth and can lead to many other detrimental effects. This is why it’s a good idea to consider replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant.

The real problem with tooth loss isn’t esthetics (although that’s certainly an important consideration) it’s the bone loss that comes with it. The alveolar bone, which surrounds the teeth, requires regular stimulation in order to stay healthy. Without such stimulation which comes from tiny stresses transmitted by the teeth themselves the bone gradually melts away. Tooth loss can cause a 25% decrease in bone width in the first year alone, and more in subsequent years.

Dental bridges and dentures are viable options for replacing missing teeth. However, when dentures and bridges worn for many years, a patient can experience reduced volume of the bone tissue in the jaw. When the jawbone reduces gradually over time, it can result in changes to the shape of the face as the lower jaw can shift closer to the upper jaw. This reduction of the jawbone can cause the face to have a ‘sunken’ look that can make the person look older and gloomier. Eventually, the bite may effectively collapse along with the self-confidence.

Fortunately, there is way to keep tooth loss from becoming bone loss. It is dental implant. Because the implant actually becomes fused to the bone, it helps keep bone healthy and functional and it looks great too!

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