Problems of Missing Teeth – How Dental Implants In Manchester Help

24 December 2018

Problems of Missing Teeth – How Dental Implants In Manchester Help

When it comes to dental implants, Manchester residents will probably be all too aware that implant-based restorations aren’t cheap. Even if you seek out a competitively priced private dentist in Manchester, you’ll see that dental implants are twice as much – if not more – than other conventional missing tooth replacement methods.

For this reason, it’s easy to believe that one missing tooth shouldn’t cause you too many problems, especially when it doesn’t affect you aesthetically. Unfortunately, however, the long-term effects of any form of tooth loss can be quite serious. The good news is that dental implants can help you avoid this risk.

Of course, when you’ve lost a tooth you may consider what to do next. Your initial reaction may be  – why bother replacing it? Firstly, missing teeth can result in bone loss. This in itself can result in facial ageing that no amount of Botox in Manchester will hide. Depending upon where they’re situated, missing teeth can also cause difficulty in eating and speaking, Finally, any remaining teeth can become loose, difficult to clean, and be more prone to decay.

We tend to think of our teeth as individual units, but in truth, our teeth are a whole system which works well in harmony and become problematic when it doesn’t.

So how do people lose their teeth in the first place?

You may be considering undergoing a dental implant in Manchester if you’ve lost teeth due to one or more of the following:

• Severe gum (periodontal) disease and tooth decay

• Serious illness – Teeth can be lost through illness caused by autoimmune problems, osteomyelitis, diabetes, and cancer

• Trauma – Accidents, sports injuries, or falls can all cause tooth loss, but in addition, habits like teeth grinding and nail-biting can all cause teeth to fail eventually.

Most adults will start with 32 healthy teeth (2 rows of 16). However, your four third molars (wisdom teeth) are often removed because there simply isn’t enough room for them in the mouth. While this isn’t a problem, if any of the remaining 28 are lost, there is an increased risk of further tooth loss when teeth aren’t replaced.

What about aesthetically?

For some people, tooth loss isn’t that big a deal and it doesn’t affect them, but for many others having a gappy smile can be quite emotional and deep-felt. As an example, some people consider losing a tooth to be like losing a part of the body, or they worry that eventually, they may have to wear problematic dentures like a family member. Others will tend to shy away from social or family events, losing both confidence and self-esteem in the process.

Smiling is an indication of how we’re perceived. A person with a great smile is often viewed as more attractive, more sincere, more reliable, and more approachable, so replacing a missing tooth plays an important part in helping a person to feel more confident again.

How do gaps encourage tooth movement?

Did you know that our teeth are actually designed to move? This allows for positional adjustment when facing changes brought about by ageing or other factors. That’s all well and good and perfectly natural, but as soon as you have a gap in your smile, adjacent teeth can and do start to drift towards the space. This results in crooked teeth which makes them more difficult to properly clean and therefore, they become more at risk from tooth decay.

In addition, if a lower tooth is missing or extracted, a process known as overeruption or super-eruption might occur. This is when the opposing tooth in the upper jaw starts to protrude into the gap below. This can result in the exposure of the root structure as the gums start to recede and can attract decay, inflammation, and extreme sensitivity.

What about bone resorption?

As natural teeth are embedded into the jawbone, the surrounding bone tissue that supports the tooth root is continually stimulated as the tooth chews and bites food. When the tooth is no longer present the brain decides that the bone tissue isn’t needed anymore and reabsorbs the tissue back into the body for use somewhere else. Surprisingly, this process starts immediately after tooth loss and within the first year, the area can lose up to 20% of bone.

As such, this causes jaw shrinkage, which in turn, causes the skin supporting the face and jaw to become loose. As it does so, wrinkles and lines begin to appear where they weren’t before.

Of course, you could visit a private dentist In Manchester for regular treatments of Botox, but Manchester patients wouldn’t really be solving the cause of the problem. In reality, it’s a bit like sticking a band-aid over an open wound!

So, what options do you have?

If you’ve lost any teeth or had to have a tooth extracted, it’s important to try to fill any gaps straight away. While conventional non-surgical methods such as bridges and dentures will plug gaps, restore chewing ability, and ensure a certain aesthetic look, they aren’t without their problems.

The main disadvantage when being fitted with a conventional bridge, for example, is that healthy teeth sitting on either side of the gap will need to be reshaped and restructured to support the framework for the bridge. This can compromise the otherwise healthy teeth. In addition, these supporting teeth will receive more stress and pressure than normal, thus weakening them and making them more susceptible to problems further down the line.

Additionally, fitting a bridge doesn’t halt the bone loss process, because the bone tissue in the gap left by the missing teeth is still not being stimulated. So, there’s still the underlying issue of ongoing bone shrinkage.

Unfortunately, dentures fair no better! Because they’re designed to rest on the gum, bone loss is still problematic. For this reason, dentures need to be adjusted regularly and eventually replaced as the shape of the jaw changes over time.

In addition, dentures can become uncomfortable as the muscles in your tongue and cheeks play a big part in holding your dentures in position. Both mouth and gums can become tired and as a result, dentures are prone to rocking and moving when eating. In many cases, dentures also cover the roof of the mouth, so the ability to taste, as well as to feel the texture of food, is often diminished.

The astonishing benefits of dental implants in Manchester

Dental implants are not only a replacement for our teeth but because they’re anchored down into the jawbone, they’re also a replacement for the tooth root. Once the titanium implant is in position, the remaining bone tissue starts to fuse with it in a process known as osseointegration. When this happens the bone tissue is stimulated once again. As a result, it stops being reabsorbed back into the body, bone shrinkage is halted, and any remaining bone tissue is preserved.

In addition, your dental health is protected by implants. Implant-based restorations don’t rely on existing teeth for support and because they ‘plug’ the gap left by a missing tooth they prevent teeth from gravitating towards it. Above all, dental implants restore your ability to eat your favourite foods and because they are permanently fixed, they allow you to talk, smile, and laugh normally giving a huge boost to a person’s confidence.

Nowadays more and more dentists are recommending dental implants over other forms of missing teeth replacement for these reasons. So if you’d like to find out more about how dental implants in Manchester can help you, then come and talk to our Private dentist at Manchester-based Church Road Dental and Cosmetics. Call to schedule an appointment on 0161 486 0743 today and take the first steps towards a healthy, happy smile you can be proud of.