There are many causes that can contribute to a missing tooth including severe tooth decay, gum disease or trauma. No matter the reason and regardless of your age, losing teeth can have serious effects on your dental health and general welfare. Replacing missing teeth is essential in preserving the appearance and function of your smile, as well as preventing additional issues. Learn why you shouldn’t ignore this dental issue and the services offered to address the problem!
Top Three Reasons to Replace Missing Teeth
Along with physical discomfort, a lost tooth can lead to future dental problems and cause emotional distress due to changes in your appearance. These are a few reasons missing teeth should be treated as soon as possible.
Retain function: Your teeth aid in daily functions such as eating and talking and all of your teeth are needed to perform properly. When any teeth are missing, your ability to carry out these actions is hindered considerably. With chewing, missing teeth can lead to putting more pressure on your other teeth. This can lead to faster deterioration and premature erosion.
Prevent shifting of teeth: The teeth next to the missing tooth will inevitably move to fill the void. This change may result in dental misalignment, crookedness, difficulty biting, jawbone strain, and the emergence of TMJ joint issues. Your chances of averting this outcome are higher the sooner you take care of the missing tooth.
Avoiding facial changes and decreased self-confidence: To remain sturdy and powerful, the jawbone requires continual stimulation from the teeth. When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone no longer receives the stimulus it requires and begins to contract as a result. Additionally, your gums will start to retreat in the empty gap, weakening the teeth next to it. Your facial structure will shift, your cheeks will droop, and you’ll start to age earlier than usual. Maintaining a healthy jawbone can stop tooth decay and gum disease as well as alterations to the face shape.
How Missing Teeth Can Be Replaced
There are multiple methods of replacing missing teeth. The approach used often depends on the condition of the teeth.
Dental Implant: In order to replace a missing tooth, a dental implant is a medical device that is surgically inserted into the jaw. It restores a person’s ability to eat, utilize their mouth, etc. by acting like a replaced tooth root.
Bridge: A bridge is a fixed dental restoration used to replace one or more missing teeth by joining an artificial tooth definitively to adjacent teeth or dental implants
Removal Prosthetics: For someone with multiple missing teeth, removal prosthetics is often recommended. These prosthetics include complete dentures and partial dentures.
If you are experiencing problems from a lost tooth, give us a call at Beall Dental Center. Together we can determine the best next steps!
