What happens if you don't replace a tooth after extraction

What Happens When You Don’t Replace a Tooth After Extraction?

December 1, 2022

Tooth decay, infection, trauma to the mouth region, and other factors may leave cause you to go through tooth loss. A missing tooth is not just bad for your smile’s appearance, but it can also cause various other dental problems. In this article, we will list common dental problems associated with tooth extraction and why you should replace a missing tooth as soon as possible.

What Is Tooth Extraction?

A dental extraction, otherwise known as tooth removal, is a dental procedure for removing severely damaged teeth from their socket through surgery or pulling. We usually do our best to try and preserve the natural tooth and only result in tooth removal when we find it more effective.

Common Reasons for Tooth Extraction

Various things could cause you to undergo tooth removal. Here are some of the most common reasons as per our research findings:

To Stop Infection From Spreading

Tooth infection is a dental problem that can cause much damage if not treated early. Bacteria accumulates in the mouth, multiplies, and starts damaging the patient’s teeth and gums. During routine dental checkups, your dentist will look for signs of dental issues, and if your gums and teeth are severely infected, they may recommend teeth removal to stop the infection from spreading further.

Alleviate Dental Pain

Dental pain can be too severe, making it difficult for you to focus on your work or studies. Therefore, if your tooth is damaged to the point of no restoration, we may have to remove it.

Correct Dental Imperfections

Tooth removal also has a cosmetic benefit, especially for patients suffering from a condition that causes overcrowding of teeth. Such patients tend to have more teeth than their mouths can effectively accommodate. Overcrowding of teeth causes teeth to become crooked leading to an unattractive smile. In addition, it can cause bite-related issues, which cause pain and discomfort when chewing.

Why You Should Replace Your Missing Tooth?

After tooth removal, it’s best to replace the missing tooth with artificial teeth. Here is why:

Make Chewing Easier

Depending on the teeth missing, losing a tooth can make it difficult to chew food properly. For example, if you lose a molar, you may be forced to chew with one side of your mouth to avoid food particles from getting lodged into the gap left behind by the missing tooth. This is tiring and can cause the overworked teeth to wear fast. So, why not restore your missing teeth via dental implants in South Lake Tahoe, CA, and make chewing easier?

Prevent Loss of Jawbone Tissue

A missing tooth leaves a wide gap that makes your smile less attractive. But that is not all of it; it can also cause bone deterioration. A tooth has roots that stimulate the gums to release nutrients that preserve your jawbone and make it strong. When you lose a tooth, the lack of gum stimulation causes your body to stop releasing nutrients for nourishing the jawbone causing your jawbone to weaken. Dental implants can stimulate the gums similarly to natural teeth, therefore signaling your gums to keep releasing nutrients to nourish the jawbone.

Preserve Your Facial Features

Your jawbone plays a significant role in preserving your facial skin and its features. Therefore, if your jawbones become less dense due to a lack of nutrients, you may notice changes in your facial appearance. For example, your facial skin may start to sag, forcing your lips downwards and making you appear older than your actual age.

How Long Does a Dental Implant Procedure Take?

The time it would take for your dentist to finish fitting you with dental implants may vary for several reasons. For example, a single implant will take about an hour to fit, while a full mouth dental implant will take significantly more time to complete. Additionally, if you had to undergo bone grafting, you would have to first wait for the wound to heal before you can get dental implants; thus, the procedure will take longer.

How Long Does It Take for the Gum to Heal After Implant Surgery?

As we said earlier, certain factors, like whether or not you had a bone graft, may delay the treatment and healing of dental implants. Assuming you were a perfect candidate for dental implants and never had to undergo bone grafting, it would take about six to eight months for your gums to fully heal post-surgery.

Conclusion

Agreeing to have your tooth removed is often difficult but sometimes crucial to helping you achieve good oral health. If you recently lost a tooth or had it removed, visit Tahoe Dentist to have it replaced with implants. We recommend replacing missing teeth sooner rather than later as it can keep you safe from future dental problems.

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