Tooth loss is an unpleasant and inconvenient oral health issue for anyone to deal with. On top of that, premature tooth loss can actually kick off a chain reaction of dental problems down the road. Keep reading to learn more about this from our Troy dental implant dentists.
Dental Alignment
When a tooth is lost, you may find that your dental alignment continues to change as a result. Essentially, your teeth shift along the gumline every time you lose a tooth—think of a tooth as a placeholder, once that placeholder is gone, your smile is more malleable. Your bite may change, and you may find that previously straight teeth are now crooked or crowded.
Jawbone
Remember that your teeth extend all the way down into your jawbone. Though you may not be able to see your tooth roots, they are still there performing an important function. Once a tooth is lost, you will no longer have a healthy root meeting up with your jawbone tissue. Unfortunately, this often causes patients’ jawbones to begin to weaken and break down.
Additional Tooth Loss
All of this together—shifting dental alignment and the degradation of jawbone tissue—creates an environment in which future tooth loss is probable. This is why it’s so important for you to talk to your dentist about ways that you can protect your oral health from additional damage.
If you want to minimize your risk of developing oral health problems post-tooth-loss, please give our Troy dental implant dentists a call. We are here to provide you with all of the information and guidance that you need to make healthy dental decisions!