What Happens If I Don’t Get a Dental Implant for My Damaged Tooth?

Dental implants offer the most natural, permanent solution to missing teeth and have a 97% success rate after 10 years. However, implantation is a significant procedure.

If you’ve visited Fremaux Dental Care and we’ve told you that you need a dental implant for a damaged or missing tooth, you might wonder, “What happens if I wait or don’t get one at all?” It’s a fair question, especially since dental implants are a big decision; but putting it off or skipping it can lead to more problems down the road.

Consequences of not having dental implants

Let’s look at what could happen if you don’t replace your damaged tooth with an implant and why it’s vital to take action.

1. The tooth gap won’t stay the same

When we remove a damaged tooth, or it falls out, it leaves an empty space in your mouth. At first, this might not seem like a big deal, especially if it’s in the back where no one can see it. But your mouth is the sum of its parts, so when one piece is missing, the whole thing can shift.

Without something to hold the space, nearby teeth start to move into the gap. This means teeth can become crooked or crowded, which affects your bite and may lead to other dental problems.

2.  Jawbone loss begins

Your teeth help keep your jawbone strong by giving it regular stimulation through chewing and biting. When a tooth is missing, that part of your jaw no longer gets used the same way.

Over time, the bone in that area starts to shrink (bone resorption). This can change the shape of your face, make your jaw look sunken, and even affect how dentures or other future dental work fits. Once the bone is gone, you’ll likely need a bone graft before being able to have an implant.

3. You may have trouble chewing or speaking

Every tooth in your mouth affects how you chew and speak, so losing any of them can throw things off. You might start to chew on one side of your mouth more, leading to uneven wear on your teeth or even jaw pain.

Depending on the missing tooth’s location, it might also change how you pronounce certain words. For example, front teeth help with sounds like “s” and “th.” Over time, this could affect your confidence when speaking.

4. Your bite can change

As your teeth shift and your jawbone changes, your bite may become misaligned. This can cause issues like:

• Tooth grinding or clenching (bruxism)
• Jaw pain or headaches
• Excess wear on other teeth
• Risk of damaging more teeth

A dental implant helps keep your bite stable by replacing the missing tooth root and preventing surrounding teeth from moving out of place.

5. Long-term costs can go up

It’s easy to think that skipping a dental implant will save money, but the opposite is true in many cases. When you wait too long to replace a damaged tooth, the effects on surrounding teeth and bone might mean you need more complex (and costly) treatments later, such as bone grafts.

Getting a dental implant early can help protect your mouth and save you from needing even more dental work.

6.  Increased risk of health problems

Research into tooth loss shows links to various health issues, including:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Coronary artery disease (which can cause a heart attack)
• Carotid artery disease (which can cause stroke)
• Peripheral arterial disease (which can lead to limb loss)
• Lung, head, neck, pancreatic, esophageal and other cancers
• Cognitive decline
• Depression

While tooth loss doesn’t cause these problems, it can worsen them because of factors like chronic inflammation and dietary habit changes.

So, what exactly is a dental implant?

A dental implant is a threaded, screwlike titanium post that goes in your jawbone where the tooth root used to be. Over time, your bone fuses with the implant to create a strong base.

Once the implant is secure, we fit a crown (artificial tooth) on top. The result looks, feels, and works just like a natural tooth. With appropriate care, dental implants last for many years — sometimes even a lifetime.

If you have a damaged or missing tooth, don’t wait too long to decide what to do. At Fremaux Dental Care, we help you understand your options and make a plan that suits your needs, budget, and lifestyle. Call us to discuss dental implants, or use the online form to get in touch.