How Dental Implants Affect Your Natural Teeth

When you choose to replace a tooth with a dental implant, you are doing much more than just replacing a tooth. Once placed into your jaw, a dental implant will affect the adjacent teeth in both the short-term and the long-term. But those effects will all be positive. Getting a dental implant could even prevent the need for further dental treatment in the future.

Adjacent Teeth Won't Shift

A lost tooth has many downsides aside from losing the ability to chew in that area. One problem that arises from losing a tooth is shifting. The teeth on either side of the gap where your tooth once was will eventually begin to shift into the space left behind by the tooth. Although this process will occur over months and years, eventually, the alignment of your bite will change.

Not only will this affect your appearance, but it will also affect the way you speak and eat. A dental implant will fill the space and thus prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting.

The Surrounding Teeth Won't Become Crooked

When the adjacent teeth shift, this causes a chain reaction that affects the rest of the teeth in the same jaw. For instance, if you don't replace a central incisor, the adjacent lateral incisor will shift toward the gap. And this will start a domino effect that will cause all the teeth behind the lateral incisor to shift toward the front of the mouth.

The only way to correct that crookedness in the future will be with orthodontic treatment, such as traditional braces or Invisalign, for instance. But replacing the lost tooth with a dental implant will ensure that you don't have to correct crooked teeth with orthodontic care sometime in the future.

Adjacent Teeth Will Be Easier to Clean

Another downside that follows tooth loss and shifting of teeth is the inability to clean your teeth easily. When teeth become crooked, they overlap each other, creating awkward and hard-to-reach spaces. You might then miss those spaces while brushing your teeth. This will increase your risk of suffering tooth decay in those awkward spaces.

As such, a dental implant can help prevent future cavities by stopping your adjacent teeth from shifting.

Just one dental implant can help prevent the need for restorative dental treatment and orthodontic treatment. If you have lost a tooth, speak to your dentist about dental implants. You could save yourself money and time in the long run.