It is critical to fill the gaps left by a missing teeth with dental implants. London, Ontario, patients choose dental implants over other options for their numerous benefits, including great durability — you can usually expect an implant to last for life. But why is it so important to receive a dental implant?

What Happens When You Leave a Gap?

When you leave a gap between teeth, your oral health starts to suffer. Other teeth will slowly drift into the gap, impacting alignment. This results in large spaces between teeth, where food particles can build up, causing tooth decay. You may also find it difficult to eat and speak. Finally, a missing tooth can change your appearance, leading to self-confidence issues.

Why a Dental Implant?

Unlike bridges and dentures, a dental implant creates a root for the missing tooth. This stimulates the jawbone, ensuring that it stays strong and keeps growing. A strong jawbone maintains your facial structure and prevents other teeth from becoming loose or falling out.

The implant also provides a solid base for the replacement tooth. It is not removable like a denture and, unlike a bridge, it requires no crowns on healthy teeth to hold the artificial tooth in place. In fact, your natural teeth are not impacted at all.

You can even receive a dental implant if your jawbone has started to deteriorate, such as in the case that you lost your tooth some time ago or the tooth loss was due to gum disease. The only difference is that you will need to receive a bone graft to strengthen your jawbone before the rest of the procedure.

Talk to your London dentist about receiving a dental implant. You should start the process as soon as possible after losing a tooth to maintain a healthy mouth.