A broken smile is the least of your worries when you knock out a tooth. Your mouth is designed with teeth in mind. Thus, the loss of even one tooth can cause all sorts of problems. In order to keep you mouth healthy and avoid future problems, you need to look for a replacement tooth that will mimic the function of your natural tooth. There is only one option available that will look and function exactly like a natural tooth and that is a dental implant. 

What Problems Arise with the Loss of a Tooth?

Teeth serve several important functions in your mouth besides simply aiding in breaking down food. These include the following:

1. Each tooth holds a spot in your mouth. You might think that your teeth are firmly rooted to your jawbone and, therefore, immovable, but this is far from the case. Teeth move when they have a chance. Minus one tooth, the other teeth in your mouth will start to move, which can promote decay and cause jaw pain due to an uneven bite.

2. When you bite down, the pressure on your teeth stimulates your jawbone. This stimulates bone growth, which keeps the bone around your teeth healthy. Without this stimulus, your jawbone can start to deteriorate, leading to a depression in your mouth. Food debris can get stuck in this depression and cause tooth decay and gum disease. 

How Does a Dental Implant Help?

A dental implant consists of a titanium root that connects to your jawbone and a crown that is cemented onto the root. Thus, the tooth will hold its place just like a natural tooth and prevent the teeth around it from moving. Also, the pressure of biting down on your tooth, will stimulate your bone as the pressure travels down the crown to the root and then to your jawbone. Furthermore, a dental implant will be just as strong as your natural teeth, so you don't have to worry that the foods you eat will damage your implant. 

While dental implants are durable, they are not indestructible. In order to keep your implant viable, you will need to brush and floss like you would with a normal tooth to avoid gum damage that could cause your tooth to fail. You will also need to warn hygienists that you have a replacement tooth so that they can use tools that won't scratch the root. If you have lost a tooth, and you are looking into what the best replacement tooth will be, talk to your dentist about an implant. Contact a dental office, such as Gordon Dental, for more information about dental implants.