Recognize the symptoms
Should I Replace My Missing Tooth?
Yes, unless the teeth extracted were wisdom teeth, you must replace a missing tooth. If the missing tooth was visible when you smile, then this will pose obvious cosmetic concerns but that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
After you lose a tooth, your jawbone deteriorates. This causes the surrounding teeth in the mouth to shift around and even lean into the space where your old tooth was. This can lead to overcrowding and crooked teeth.
Over time, this bone loss will also lead to changes in your facial structure, which will cause you to appear visibly older than you are. Bone loss also increases your risk of losing more teeth in the future. There are many tooth replacement options available that can fill the space of your missing tooth, improve the appearance of your smile, and assist with tooth function such as speaking and chewing.
The best option for tooth replacement after extraction is a dental implant. A titanium post is implanted into the jawbone and over 3-6 months, this post becomes integrated (fused) with the jawbone. Then you will return for another appointment to have an abutment attached to the implant and finally, a dental crown attached to that.
Dental implants are the only tooth replacement that preserves the jaw bone to prevent teeth from shifting. It is also the only restoration that truly fully restores the function of the natural tooth. They’re secured in the jaw, so they don’t shift around when you eat or speak and they’re incredibly low maintenance.