If a dentist is recommending a tooth extraction, odds are they will also recommend something to replace the missing tooth, often a dental implant. Dental esthetics aside, there are multiple functional reasons why a dentist might recommend dental implants. Addressing the issue of the missing tooth now means avoiding more complicated and expensive procedures down the line. Here’s why dentists might recommend replacing an extracted tooth with a dental implant:
- Avoiding supraeruption – When a tooth doesn’t have an opposing tooth to keep it in place it will continue erupting, entering the space left open by the missing tooth. This means that if the patient ever wanted to have the tooth restored at a later date they would run into various complications related to the opposing tooth entering its space preventing the easy placement of a dental crown.
- Avoiding bone loss – When a tooth a tooth is extracted, the bone at the site of the extraction starts undergoing a natural process called resorption. This is one of the body’s ‘use it or lose it’ mechanisms, where the body starts absorption the bone since it isn’t being used anymore by the anchored tooth. By placing a dental implant at the site of the extraction, there is now a new anchored ‘tooth’ which helps overcome the resorption process. If a patient waits before getting a dental implant there may be so much resorption that a bone grafting procedure will have to be done before an implant is placed.
- Shifting teeth – There is a chance that once the tooth is removed, the teeth around is will start shifting as a result since there is no longer a tooth at the site preventing them from moving. This could cause changes in the way a a patient chews and how their teeth come together.
If a dentist is recommending a dental implant after a tooth extraction it may seem superfluous at first, but as you can see there are some serious implications to leaving the site of the missing tooth empty for long.
If you live near Burlington and are looking for a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, the dentists at Colchester Dental Group can help you restore your smile and maintain optimal dental health. Please call the dental implant office today to book your dental consultation.
