Everyone cares about what their front-facing teeth look like. After all, those are the ones which you’re showing off every day, and determine just how great your smile is. Plus, they’re actively involved in biting into foods, so they are the teeth that people think about most when eating as well.
However, the teeth in the back – your molars – should not be overlooked or neglected just because they don’t spend as much time in the spotlight!
Molars are grinding teeth. They’re the ones you rely on day after day, year after year, to wear down the food you eat and prepare it for digestion in your stomach and intestines. They’re broad and flat, and designed for many years of use… but like all teeth, they can become broken or come loose. They’re also highly susceptible to cavities, since they’re a bit more difficult to clean than the front teeth.
If you’ve lost some of your back teeth, or they’ve become too worn-down to chew effectively, you should consider getting dental implants in Peterborough to replace them.
THE BENEFITS OF MOLAR DENTAL IMPLANTS IN PETERBOROUGH
Proper Chewing
Properly chewing food without working molars is incredibly difficult. It can take significantly longer, and may even cause pain. In addition, it puts a lot of additional stress on the other teeth you use to do the chewing, because it’s not a job they were built for. The cuspids and bicuspids – the mid-mouth teeth – may be able to substitute for molars for a brief time, but this will inevitably cause more problems.
Teeth Alignment
It might not seem obvious, but your molars act sort of like the foundation for your entire mouth full of teeth. When the molars are in place, and properly aligned, they encourage all of your teeth to stay in alignment as well. Without the molars in place, it becomes far easier for your teeth to lose their alignment and slowly shift back into your mouth. Missing molars can lead to significant problems throughout your mouth, including the possible need for orthodontic correction.
Jawbone Health
Your jawbone needs to be supporting teeth to retain its own strength and form. Missing teeth, even in the back, will cause your jawbone to slowly lose that strength. This, again, encourages misaligned teeth, or could even encourage the early loss of other teeth.
Also, once a jawbone has degenerated, it’s extremely difficult to repair it. In worst case scenarios, going long enough with missing teeth could make dental implants impossible because the jaw has become too weak to support them. While dentures or bridges would remain an option, these are less natural and require more changes in lifestyle than an implant creates.
CHRISTOPHER MOORE AND ASSOCIATESARE YOUR PETERBOROUGH DENTAL IMPLANT TEAM
With over twenty years’ experience in clinical dentistry, Dr. Moore and his expert team are well-qualified to handle a full range of implant needs. From a single tooth to a full set, contact our office today for a consultation!