According to the Australian Dental Association, Australian adults have an average of 4.5 missing teeth and around 61% of people aged 75 have severe periodontal disease, resulting in tooth loss over time. Most Australians put off dental treatments for several reasons, and overlooking missing teeth can result in serious dental health issues. So, if you’ve lost a tooth and procrastinated it for a long time, now is the right time to replace your missing teeth with permanent teeth replacement options like Dental Implants in Sydney.
Why Is It Important To Replace A Missing Tooth?
Most patients are concerned about only the aesthetic impact of missing teeth while failing to realise their impacts on their oral and overall health. Teeth structure is crucial, and each tooth relies on the other for support. So, adjacent teeth might shift over time when a tooth goes missing as they try to fill the resulting gap. This, in turn, results in tooth crowding. Also, when the remaining teeth move from their place, the roots are disturbed and become weak, impacting their structure and integrity.
Not to mention the bone deterioration. Yes, it’s the teeth that help to stimulate the gums and bones. When a tooth is lost, there’s no longer stimulation, resulting in bone loss. The jawbone tends to lose its’ density due to lack of stimulation. You might look aged as the skin starts to sag, as there’s no proper support from jawbones in the particular area.
When a tooth is lost, teeth misalignment can make it difficult to brush and floss, resulting in a build-up of plaque. Plaque is the major of several dental diseases, including tooth decay and gum disease. Both dental problems can lead to tooth loss if not addressed quickly.
Besides, you might find it difficult to chew when there’s a missing tooth. As it will take more time to chew the food, you might feel pressure when eating. The muscle strain caused by the misaligned bite due to missing teeth can result in soreness of the jaw, headaches, jaw misalignment, and even TMS – temporomandibular joint disorder.
You might feel embarrassed to smile as you have gaps in your teeth. This can greatly reduce your self-esteem and prevent you from socialising.
As you see, a lot of complications can arise when you don’t replace your missing teeth. To avoid these dental complications caused by missing teeth, it’s advisable to replace your missing teeth as early as possible. While there’re several options to replace your missing teeth, Sydney dental implants are usually recommended by most dental professionals.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are screw-shaped structures made of titanium. It’s surgically anchored into the jawbone and allowed to fuse with the bones through osseointegration naturally. Once the implant fuses with the jawbone, it forms a sturdy foundation to hold the replacement teeth.
Dental implants offer a range of benefits for patients looking to replace one or more missing teeth. Dental implants are the gold standard of tooth replacement options compared to other teeth replacement options like dentures. The Dental Implants Sydney is composed of three parts, including the abutment, the fixture, and the dental prosthetic.
The Fixture
The fixture is called an implant post. It’s a small, screw-shaped structure surgically implanted into the jawbone and acts as an artificial tooth root. The fixture is designed to mimic the natural tooth root of a missing tooth.
Implants are made of titanium, a biocompatible material that won’t harm the human body.
The dentist will administer local anaesthesia and insert the fixture into the jawbone. After the fixture is inserted, it is allowed to fuse with the surrounding bone to hold the natural teeth. This is one of the significant reasons dental implants have higher success rates and offers a permanent solution. Besides, it restores functionality, the look, feel, and smile.
Abutment
Abutment is a small piece that connects the implant and the replacement teeth. One side of the abutment is designed to be screwed into the inside of the implant post, while another side is adhered to the prosthetic teeth. Depending on the prosthetic teeth’s shape and structure, different types of abutments are available, while the abutment for dental crown look simple, the abutment for implant-supported denture might have special attachments that can be clipped into the dentures.
Prosthetic Teeth/Crown
The dental crown is the visible part of the dental implant. It could be either a bridge, crown, or denture, all of which are supported by dental implants. While dental bridges are used for two or more missing teeth, crowns are used to replace single or multiple teeth that aren’t near one another. Dental implants can also be used for replacing the entire arch of missing lower and upper teeth.
You must know that all of these can impact the dental implants cost Sydney. Yes, the material you choose for dental implants, anaesthesia, and the number of implants required for missing teeth can all influence the dental implant price.
So, never ignore missing teeth. Please schedule an appointment with your dentist today to discuss your option for missing teeth.