Tooth loss can occur for a number of reasons, including factors beyond a patient’s control like accidental impact trauma. Unfortunately, missing teeth can create additional dental concerns for patients if left untreated.
Tooth replacement solutions offer many dental benefits for your smile as well as preventing secondary dental damage. Dr. Nishan Halim, a dentist in Washington, DC, describes how dental implants and other tooth replacement treatments protect your oral health after tooth loss.
Improve Oral Function
If you lose one or more teeth, your oral function could decrease, and you may find it difficult to eat or speak normally. Replacing these teeth with removable or permanent fixtures can allow you to chew and talk without issue.
Removable dentures can restore these oral capabilities effectively. But permanent options like dental implants may instill more confidence in a patient’s smile because there will not be a risk for inopportune slippage of these fixtures. Your dentist can evaluate the structure of your smile to determine the best treatment option for your tooth replacement.
Preserve Jawbone Health
When you lose a tooth, you also no longer have a tooth root that extends below the gumline and stimulates the jawbone. Without this stimulation, the jawbone may deteriorate, causing alignment concerns for remaining teeth as well as the appearance of facial sagging.
A dental implant features a titanium post that is surgically placed into the jaw which replaces the absent tooth root. Its presence stimulates the jaw again, stopping bone loss and encouraging regrowth of bone that may have already deteriorated.
Boost Appearance of Your Smile
Missing teeth can create gaps in your smile that may make you feel less satisfied with your appearance. Tooth replacement treatment can fill these gaps and boost your self-esteem, inspiring confidence that can carry into other aspects of your life.
Dentures, bridges, and implants can help patients who are missing one tooth, several teeth, or an entire arch of teeth. They can also prevent secondary changes to your appearance that may occur after untreated tooth loss, including crooked teeth and facial sagging.
Dental Implants and Other Tooth Replacements in Washington, DC
Dr. Halim offers dental implants and other tooth replacement solutions to patients in Washington, DC. Our practice also specializes in cosmetic, restorative, and general dentistry, including laser treatment options. To schedule an appointment with us, contact our office online or reach our office by phone at 202.318.4113.