October 21, 2013 – Peoria, ArizonaMany people in Peoria Arizona suffer from tooth loss. Missing teeth affect so much more than your appearance. It obviously affects your self-confidence, which in turn affects your behavior. You smile less, maybe even talk less. What you may not realize is how it affects the rest of your body and your overall health.

Many people often mistakenly believe that missing teeth are not important as long as they’re not visible, so they keep putting off the cost and discomfort of replacing them. The problems associated with missing teeth can happen very slowly and may not be visible before serious damage has occurred.

1. When only one tooth is lost it may not seem like a big deal, but it can set off a domino effect of harmful events that can adversely affect your oral health. Each tooth is crucial to the proper alignment of your bite. All teeth support one another in the alignment of your bite, and prevent one another from shifting. If even one tooth is lost and not replaced with a bridge or dental implant, the surrounding teeth will begin to shift and slant into the empty space. Soon, all of the other teeth will begin to drift into any available spaces, all the while drifting toward the front of the mouth.

2. The teeth directly above or below missing teeth may then begin to move upward or downward as they have nothing to press against. Those teeth may then become loose, so that you may eventually lose those teeth too. With missing teeth it can become difficult to maintain good oral health, leaving remaining teeth more vulnerable to cavities and gum disease.

3. In addition, your teeth help support your jawbone. When you chew, pressure is applied to the jawbone, which in turn stimulates the bone cells. Without this stimulation the bone cells begin to dissolve, being reabsorbed by the body. When several teeth are missing, the entire jawbone will begin to permanently deteriorate, giving a sunken, prematurely aged appearance to the face. Later on, if you choose to get dental implants, a bone graft may be required to hold the dental implants in place.

4. If you are missing one or more teeth, each day you postpone seeking treatment more damage is occurring. A dental bridge or dentures are helpful, but may not be the ideal solution. Dentures may be a quick replacement, but many people find them ill-fitting, uncomfortable and embarrassing. In addition, dentures can’t stop the process of bone loss, so the face will continue to become more sunken in appearance. If you still retain many healthy teeth, a bridge may be an option. The drawbacks to a bridge are that the adjacent healthy teeth must be cut down in order to attach the bridge. This leaves the healthy teeth more vulnerable to decay. Furthermore, the average life expectancy of a dental bridge is only about 10 years, which means you may need to have it replaced many times during your life.

5. The most effective way to halt the progression of tooth and bone loss is with dental implants. What your dental implant surgery will involve depends mostly on the condition of your jawbone. An implant dentist will place the metal implants directly into the jaw bone to replace the roots of missing teeth. As your jawbone heals the metal implants fuse with your jawbone. This will halt further bone and tooth loss and stabilizes the bite. Later when your jaw has sufficiently healed, permanent crowns will be placed over the implanted posts. These implants can last a lifetime.

6. Dental implants look and feel just like your own teeth, only they won’t decay like your own teeth. They also won’t be uncomfortable or slip like dentures, and won’t damage any healthy teeth like a bridge can. Most importantly, dental implants will stop the progression of bone loss that can change your appearance so dramatically.

If you are interested consulting with an implant dentist in Peoria Arizona, Aesthetic Dentistry of Arrowhead has a high rate of client satisfaction. Dr. Greg Ceyhan has attended hundreds of hours of continuing education to stay current on the latest advances and techniques in implant dentistry.

The most frequently asked question is, “How much will dental implants cost?” Since every case is different, there is no way to answer that without a complete dental exam. After the exam the implant dentist will discuss treatment options and cost with you.

Aesthetic Dentistry of Arrowhead offers financing options, and accepts all major credit cards. In addition, Dr. Ceyhan has sedation available for nervous clients. So what are you waiting for? The sooner treatment begins; the less damage will have been incurred, which in turn makes treatment less costly!