If you have lost one of your back teeth, you may feel that it is unnecessary to replace it. The back teeth, although responsible for the grinding of food during mastication, are typically not visible when you smile or speak. Thus, the missing tooth may not be immediately noticeable in the mouth. Still, if the tooth is not replaced in a reasonable amount of time, problems can surface.

Among tooth-replacement options, a dental implant may be the best way to restore your missing molar. Here are a few reasons why. 

Your Jawbone Still Needs Stimulation

The thickness of the jawbone is dependent on the stimulating forces received from the teeth. As your molars grind food, the roots of the teeth conduct the bite force and transfer it to the jawbone, where the pressure incites the production of fresh new bone cells.

Without regular stimulation, the mass of the jawbone declines. The shrinking bone tissue can cause the face to appear sunken and aged. Additionally, with too little support for the facial soft tissues, the jowls can began to sag. This may be especially noticeable when the deterioration of the bone occurs near the rear of the mouth, which is typically occupied by the molars.

Dental implants can transfer the bite pressure as effectively as the natural roots of a tooth because the implants are also positioned within the jawbone. Thus, as you chew with implants in place, the jawbone is stimulated to create new cells.

Your Molars Are Place-Keepers

Even though the molars are in the rear of the mouth, they are placeholders for the nearby teeth. They block the adjacent teeth from migrating into undesirable positions by occupying the available space.

However, once the molars are lost, the teeth can begin to shift out of place, resulting in a dental misalignment. Even if the teeth were previously straight, a misalignment can still occur over time if the molars that are lost are not quickly replaced.

A dental implant-based restoration can replace both the roots and crown of the missing molar. The implant replaces the lost roots, and the device is topped with a dental crown to replace the tooth's natural crown. Since the dental implant occupies the space that was once held by the missing tooth, it also blocks the migration of adjacent teeth.

To learn more about dental implants and why they are often preferred over other tooth-replacement options, schedule a consultation with a dentist like Amato Dentistry.