What Happens if You Don’t Replace Missing Teeth?

If you’re only missing a single tooth, you may feel like you don’t need to replace it, especially if it’s in a part of the mouth people can’t easily see. Even when a missing tooth is not located in the front of the mouth, the reality is that missing even just a single tooth can lead to serious consequences, adversely affecting both the oral health and the overall health. Prompt dental attention is an important part of preventing these consequences.

If you have a space in your teeth that used to have a tooth in it, the teeth near the space may drift into the space, creating crooked teeth. This can be visually unappealing, of course, and it can also make it much more difficult to clean between the teeth, which can lead to gum disease and the loss of additional teeth. As the healthy teeth migrate in the jaw, this creates the risk of damaging the roots of the healthy teeth, which can also lead to tooth loss. The realignment of the teeth will also affect the way the upper and lower rows of teeth intersect when you bite down, which is called occlusion, causing you to unconsciously compensate for missing teeth while chewing. This can weaken the healthy teeth, as they are subjected to a disproportionate force that they cannot effectively support. Problems with occlusion that arise from missing teeth could lead you to chew more with one side of your mouth than the other, and this imbalance can cause intense headaches that can linger long after the person has stopped chewing.

When the bone in the jaw no longer supports a tooth root, which occurs when a tooth falls out, the bone begins to be reabsorbed into the body, deteriorating from inside the jaw. This creates a sunken appearance in the jaw and can also lead to additional teeth loosening and falling out. Dental implants can prevent bone resorption and are an ideal replacement solution for people who are missing a single tooth. The crown supported by a dental implant can be matched to the natural teeth in color and tone and will look and act just like a healthy, natural tooth, and the implant post itself stimulates the growth of the healthy bone that holds everything securely in the mouth.

If you are missing teeth, you know how difficult it can be to comfortably eat a variety of foods. Without the inclusion of crunchy foods like vegetables, or hard foods like nuts, it can be challenging to maintain a healthy diet. Over time, these nutritional deficiencies will affect a person’s health and can lead to serious conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Some dental restorations are more conducive to maintaining a balanced diet than others, but pretty much any dental restoration is a better option than leaving a missing tooth alone and not replacing it. You and your dentist can discuss the artificial tooth options that are available to you, and most of the time, there are more options when addressed early on, so take it seriously and call your dentist today if you’re missing one or more of your natural teeth.