Blog Post

May 27, 2020

Consequences of Not Replacing Missing Teeth

Consequences of Not Replacing Missing Teeth

If you are missing a tooth, you may think it’s no big deal, especially if it doesn’t show when you smile or talk. However, failing to replace a missing tooth can have significant physical, cosmetic, and psychological effects that will cost you in the long run.

1. Failure to replace a missing tooth (or teeth) is the leading cause of jaw bone loss. Teeth help to stimulate and support the bone of the jaw; much the same way that exercise helps to stimulate and support muscle health. If you are missing teeth, the bone that once supported them is no longer stimulated. In the same way that unused muscle can become atrophied, so too can unused jaw bone. Dental implants include screws that fuse with the bone to provide maximum strength and support. This process (osseointegration) supports the jaw bone as much as it does the visible crown.

2. Without a neighboring tooth to keep them in check, remaining teeth may start to drift. This could make it difficult to bite and chew if the teeth are no longer aligned properly. Furthermore the drifting of a tooth can destabilize its roots, leading to a wobbly tooth or outright loss.

3. Your facial structure relies heavily on the structure of your teeth. When you have a missing tooth for too long, your facial muscles can begin to droop and cause a change in your facial appearance which can lead to a huge loss of confidence.

4. It is fairly obvious that if you have a missing tooth you are going to have some trouble breaking down food though many people do not realize that missing teeth also affect the way you speak which can cause some embarrassment and confidence issues. Overtime digestion can be affected as your mouth cannot break down foods correctly.

There are several different methods available for fixing a missing tooth. Dental implants are the most effective and durable way of replacing a missing tooth. Here at Wassan Dental, we are treating patients for dental implants and bridges for a number of years and have extensive experience in this area.