If you are missing teeth or have broken teeth that need to be pulled, then consider dental implants as a way to restore the natural smile that you have as well as the natural function of your teeth after they are removed. You can also consider implants if there are teeth that are infected. Before getting implants, you will need to have the affected tooth removed. Sometimes, more than one tooth needs to be removed so that there is space in the mouth for the implant and to ensure that the jawbone is healthy.
A dentist in Wheeling IL can examine your mouth and determine the best treatment plan. When one or more teeth are missing, the other teeth in the mouth will begin to shift over time to take up that empty space. Before they shift completely, talk to your dentist about implants. When the teeth shift, it can result in spaces between the teeth that can impact the way that they look when you smile and even impact how you eat at times as food can get stuck between the teeth.
Another benefit of implants is to conserve your jawbone. If there isn’t a tooth in the mouth, then the jawbone will begin to close around the empty socket. The bone can become weaker over time, which can impact the other teeth in that area of the mouth. Sometimes, a missing tooth can result in a greater chance of an infection developing. Dentures are often a better option if there are implants in the mouth. Instead of putting a crown on the implant, the dentist would put dentures in the mouth. This option is often reserved for those who have several teeth missing instead of just one or two. Sometimes, it only takes a few implants to support a full set of dentures, giving you a reason to smile once again.