A tooth is a body part that has the primary function of eating and chewing. It also adds to the aesthetic beauty of the face and an endearing smile.
Like all natural structures of the body, a tooth is wonderfully conceptualized and engineered by nature. It has multiple layers with a dome shaped inner body and extends deep into the bone, to form an adequate foundation to support the rigours of biting and chewing, multiple meals over multiple decades of our lives.
But like every natural structure, disease and breakdown does happen to teeth as well. However, unlike most other parts of our body, teeth cannot not heal by themselves or grow back once damaged. They lack the blood supply to self repair.
The most common form of tooth disease is a tooth cavity. In simplified terms, a tooth cavity is a bacterial infection with bacteria residing within teeth and eating up the tooth. It is progressive and ultimately forms a cavity. The only treatment option is to clean up the entire cavity and then fill it up with an artificial material. Most dental treatments of the teeth can only repair / replace damaged or lost tooth structure. And as always, the endeavour of human kind is to find that ideal replacement material that completely mimics a natural tooth. That is still a pursuit in progress.
As a progressive disease, tooth cavities or other infections can reach a point beyond repair. That’s when the natural tooth will need to be removed and a replacement needs to be planned. The most natural mimicking replacement at present is a tooth or dental implant. It involves a threaded medical grade pure titanium implant placed within the bone mimicking the tooth root, and a crown above it to function like a tooth.
Dental implant science and technology has evolved over the last twenty years and is capable of giving good usage over multiple years. The image above is of an implant after 15 years of oral use, adjacent to a natural tooth. Implants can also be used to replace multiple teeth or all missing teeth.
In conclusion, a natural tooth is a precious resource and part of our body that we must take good care and preserve for the best function for the longest time possible. When the situation ultimately leads to loss of a natural tooth, dental implants are good, dependable replacement options.