If you are missing teeth, you should know that you are not alone. Over 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and 35 million have no teeth at all! So, if it is so common to be missing teeth in Nashville, TN, then is it necessary to replace those teeth? Our periodontists at Nashville Periodontal Group have listed out the 5 most important reasons you should replace missing teeth with dental implants—the gold standard of tooth replacement.

1.       Restore Self-Confidence. When you are missing a tooth (or several teeth), your smile does not have the same beauty as it does with a full set of teeth. Many patients who are missing teeth feel embarrassed about smiling, taking pictures or even speaking with others. After replacing these lost teeth with dental implants, confidence can be restored to give the patient a natural-looking and beautiful smile.

2.       Prevent a Changing Facial Appearance. Even just one missing tooth can cause the loss of bone in the jaw as it is no longer being stimulated by the tooth root. As jaw bone deteriorates, the facial appearance begins to change, with teeth shifting and the face adopting a more sunken-in or aged look. Dental implants replace the function of the tooth root, stimulating the bone for continued growth and a retained appearance.

3.       Speak Clearly. Missing teeth make it difficult to speak without problems, often causing a whistling sound or possibly a lisp. When missing teeth are replaced with durable dental implants, speech is often restored as the tongue has a location to rest and press against to make sound.

4.       Prevent a Changing Bite. When you are missing a tooth, there is an empty space where the original tooth once was. Without filling this space, your surrounding teeth are likely to shift into the empty gap. This can cause a change to your bite, making it more difficult to eat foods, speak clearly, and even cause your facial appearance to alter. Filling this empty space with a dental implant prevents teeth from shifting and keeps your bite stable.

5.       Eat the Foods You Love. Without teeth, it becomes more and more difficult to eat foods as the biting and chewing functions become limited. Additionally, if surrounding teeth begin to shift into the gap, then your bite will become unaligned. This makes it more difficult to bite into and chew foods. Dental implants are stable and strong, allowing you to bite into and eat all the foods you normally enjoy.

Do you have missing teeth in Nashville, TN, and would like to have them replaced? Contact our periodontists at Nashville Periodontal Group, Drs. Bill Akin, Will Akin and Brian West, to discuss replacing your missing teeth with dental implants today!