Unless you are a child who is anticipating a visit from the tooth fairy, it is never ideal to lose a tooth. Each tooth in your mouth (with the exclusion of wisdom teeth) serve a specific role in keeping your smile aligned and your bite balanced. While most patients worry over the aesthetic consequences of missing teeth, there is much more at stake. In fact, missing teeth can lead to threats within your oral health, your speech and your overall well-being.
The Importance of Restorative Dentistry
Restorative dentistry can involve a variety of treatments that are designed to replace a natural tooth. Depending on how many teeth are lost and your personal preferences, this can include dental implants, dental bridges, partials and dentures. Choosing these teeth replacement options sooner rather than later is important because as soon as a biological tooth goes missing, a chain of detrimental events can begin. Here are four good reasons to replace a missing tooth or teeth.
#1 Shifting Teeth
It doesn’t take long before your adjacent teeth will migrate towards the open gap. This can cause alignment issues and bite imbalance, which can lead to cleaning challenges, TMJ discomfort and other consequences within your oral health.
#2 Appearance
An obvious setback from missing teeth is the appearance of your smile, especially if the lost tooth is in the front of your mouth. Keep in mind that modern restorations like crowns, dentures and bridges can provide a remarkable replica of your natural teeth in color, shape, size and translucency.
#3 Speech and Eating Challenges
We rely on certain teeth to pronounce certain sounds and syllables. It is not uncommon to suffer speech problems when teeth go missing. In addition, you may find that eating is difficult with missing teeth. This can lead to a soft-foods diet that lacks fruits, vegetables and protein, which are vital for overall health.
#4 Bone Loss
A less known drawback of missing teeth is bone loss. This occurs in the jaw due to the lack of stimulation from tooth roots. When the jawbone loses form and density, the lower face that display a sunken and aged appearance. Dental implants are the only way to avoid this consequence.
Ready to Rebuild Your Smile?
Whether you lost one tooth is a traumatic accident or need a full arch of teeth removed due to poor oral health, we can help you at Village Dental. We proudly offer an expansive menu of options in restorative dentistry, including the most advanced solutions like All-on-4 Implant Dentures. Call now to learn more benefits of replacing missing teeth and rebuilding your smile.
