The Importance of Dental Implants After Teeth Extractions

Usually, people have one or more of their teeth extracted at different times in life due to breakage, decay, or gum disease. They delay or completely disregard replacing them with dental implants, thinking it is not a big deal to have one or two teeth missing from your jaw. This is particularly more common when the missing teeth are from the back end of the jaw and are not visible.

However, there is a lot more to it than meets the eye when it comes to missing teeth. A missing tooth can have a far-reaching impact on both your oral health and overall wellbeing. This is why our periodontists place a huge emphasis on getting your missing teeth replaced with dental implants after the extraction.

What Happens If You Don’t Get a Dental Implant After Tooth Extraction?

Not getting your extracted teeth replaced with dental implants or putting off the procedure for too long can lead to:

Shifting of Teeth

Our jaw is aligned so that each tooth is supporting the other in retaining their position and staying upright. When the gap created by the extracted tooth is left unfilled, it disrupts the jaw’s structure and aligning of teeth. Over time, the surrounding teeth tend to shift due to lack of support and in an attempt to fill the gap, leading to crooked teeth and new gaps in your jaw.

In addition to this horizontal shifting, the tooth opposite to the extracted one can also shift vertically – a phenomenon known as super-eruption or over-eruption. Our teeth have a natural tendency to grow out of their position; however, they are restricted by the opposing teeth from the other jaw. In the absence of that opposing force due to a missing tooth, the opposite tooth often outgrows (vertically). This not only looks bad and causes discomfort but can also lead to certain issues, such as occlusal interference.

Changes in Bite

The shifting of teeth causes changes in the jaw’s structure. These changes can cause your bite to get misaligned. The immediate effect of the changes in your bite will result in difficulty eating and lead to underbite or overbite. But, it can also cause jaw pain and frequent headaches. In the long run, it can also lead to tooth damage and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, which is a disorder of the jaw muscles and nerves and causes constant pain in the jaw.

Bone Resorption and Bone Loss

The old saying “if you don’t use it, you lose it” perfectly applies to your jaw bone and oral tissues. When you lose a tooth and do not get it replaced with a dental implant, your gums and the jaw bone of that area lose their purpose. With time, they start to deteriorate and eventually lead to bone resorption and the loss of jawbone.

For those who do not know, bone resorption is a phenomenon in which the tissues of your jawbone breakdown, releasing the minerals in them into the blood. This causes changes in the bone volume in the areas where you lost your teeth, eventually leading to bone loss.

Get Your Missing Teeth Replaced with Dental Implants Immediately!

In the past, a patient had to wait for several months after tooth extraction so their jawbone could heal; only then could they get a dental implant. This was one of the major reasons why many people skipped it altogether, thinking if they could survive a few months without tooth replacement, they could live with a missing tooth all their life. Many would get busy and lose motivation with time. However, things have now changed. Thanks to medical science advancements, you can now have an implant placed in your jawbone immediately after the extraction in certain cases. This not only saves you time but also makes it easier to preserve your oral health and function.

Get in touch with MK Periodontics and Implants to have an extraction immediately followed by a dental implant.