What is the Problem with Missing Teeth?

If you are an adult in the United States, there’s a good chance you’ve lost at least one of your permanent teeth. If the tooth you’re missing is near the back of your mouth, you might not feel like you need to replace it; after all, no one can see that it’s missing. The reality is that losing even just a single tooth can have a negative impact on your overall health, and waiting to replace a lost tooth can lead to larger issues. The potential issues that could arise because of missing teeth can be difficult to repair or reverse, and the best option is to prevent them from happening at all, so see your dentist if you’re missing one or more teeth and discuss treatment options.

When we exercise, our muscles and our bones are strengthened by stimulation. This happens in the mouth, too; chewing exercises the bone that supports the teeth. When a tooth is missing, there is no tooth root in the jawbone, so the bone tissue is no longer stimulated by the forces of chewing in that area, and the bone deteriorates from lack of use. Initially, the bone deteriorates immediately around the missing tooth, but over time, more tissue deteriorates, causing the adjacent teeth to eventually loosen and fall out. In this way, a single missing tooth can bring on a change of events that leads to the loss of more and more teeth over time.

Waiting to replace a missing tooth also increases a person’s risk of gum disease. When a tooth falls out, there is an open pocket in the gums where the tooth once lived. This pocket can become a breeding ground for bacteria, and it can also allow the bacteria to colonize in the gums, creating the infection and inflammation that characterize gum disease. Gum disease eventually causes the teeth to loosen as the infection destroys connective tissues, and, when left untreated, will lead to tooth loss and more significant loss of bone. Gum disease has also been connected with systemic issues like diabetes and dementia and should be addressed as early as possible. While gum disease can be reversed and the gums restored to health when addressed early, early gum disease may be asymptomatic, so see your dentist regularly for dental checkups and follow their instructions if they diagnose and treat your early-stage gum disease.

Losing a tooth can also cause the adjacent teeth to drift toward the empty space, making the teeth crooked. In addition to the cosmetic issues this creates, crooked teeth can also make it more difficult to effectively clean between the teeth, which allows bacteria to build up between the teeth and increases the risk of gum disease. Crooked teeth will also affect the way your upper and lower rows of teeth line up when you bite and chew. This can lead to a jaw disorder and headaches, and it can also cause bruxism to develop. Bruxism is the habit of clenching or grinding the teeth and usually happens when a person is sleeping. Issues with the bite can also lead to damaged tooth enamel and increased tooth sensitivity. For nearly all patients, there are dental restoration options that can restore the bite with prosthetic teeth, and there’s more flexibility in the options when the problem is addressed early, so don’t delay in seeing your dentist if you’re missing one or more teeth.