What Happens if I Don’t Get an Implant for My Damaged Tooth?

You may be tempted to ignore a damaged tooth if you don’t have any apparent issues, or if you have symptoms that seem mild. But avoiding treatment only puts you on a path to infection, inflammation, severe pain, and tooth loss.

Our TLN Family Dental team specializes in repairing and restoring damaged teeth, with the goal of preserving your natural teeth. However, severe damage and advanced dental disease can make a tooth impossible to salvage. That’s when a dental implant is one of the best solutions.

In this month’s blog, we explore what happens when you don’t seek treatment for a damaged tooth — and explain how an implant can solve the problem.

Risks of ignoring a damaged tooth

Whether your tooth has a crack, a chip, or decay, the damage creates an opening in the enamel. Even if you’re diligent about brushing and flossing, bacteria can still enter through the opening, invading the tooth and potentially reaching the pulp and gums.

That’s when you’re at risk of complications such as:

• Cavities
• Gingivitis (inflamed gums)
• Pulp infection (infection in the tooth’s center where nerves reside)
• Dental abscess (severe infection)
• Jawbone erosion
• Loose teeth
• Tooth loss
• Tooth misalignment
• Worsening tooth damage (teeth weaken and break under bite pressure)
• Damage to surrounding teeth

The longer you wait to seek treatment, the more the damage progresses. As a result, what was once a relatively easy-to-treat problem requires more extensive dental care.

Damaged teeth can undermine your health

Did you know that dental infections can cause serious health problems throughout your body? When dental bacteria get into your bloodstream, they may contribute to conditions such as:

Type 2 diabetes

Gum disease raises your blood sugar levels, increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the chances of developing gum disease are three times higher if you have diabetes.

Diabetes can lead to more severe gum inflammation and increase sugar levels in your saliva, making it easier for bacteria to thrive.

Heart disease

The longer a dental infection goes untreated, the more likely the bacteria are to travel through the bloodstream to the heart, contributing to diseases such as clogged arteries.

Chronic kidney disease

There’s a direct relationship between gum inflammation and kidney function, with function declining as dental inflammation increases.

Respiratory illnesses

Dental bacteria can also find their way into your lungs, causing or worsening respiratory conditions like pneumonia.

Dental implants solve the problem

We may recommend a treatment other than a dental implant — such as a filling, root canal, or crown — depending on the type and extent of damage.

However, if the tooth has extensive damage or has such advanced disease that it can’t be restored, a dental implant eliminates the risks mentioned above while restoring the tooth.

When you get an implant, we extract the damaged tooth and replace it with an implant-supported prosthetic tooth.

The implant is a small metal post that we insert into your jawbone. Over the next few months, the bone grows and bonds with the implant, essentially creating a new tooth root that’s as strong and supportive as the original root.

Your prosthetic tooth (crown), which matches your existing teeth, attaches to the implant. As the implant supports the new tooth, you regain strength and function that’s identical to your original tooth.

In addition to having a new, fabulous-looking tooth, a dental implant eliminates the source of infection and other potential dental problems.

Have symptoms of a damaged tooth?

Symptoms of a damaged tooth include visible cracks, chips, and cavities, as well as pain and sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet products. You could also have red, swollen gums.

At the first sign of a damaged tooth, don’t wait — schedule an appointment ASAP. Call your nearest TLN Family Dental office in Houston or Pearland, Texas, today, or use our easy online booking feature to request an appointment at your convenience.