What Can Happen When You Don’t Replace a Missing Tooth?

Is your mouth missing teeth? If so, do not feel bad. Plenty of people are missing teeth. Thankfully, there are several solutions available to fill the void in your mouth while also improve your oral health and functionality.

What matters most is you take action to replace your missing tooth in a timely manner. If you do not replace your missing tooth, you will experience all sorts of problems including an unimpressive smile. We have the skills and tools to help repair your smile. Here are a few things about missing teeth that you need to know.

A Missing Tooth can Cause Bone Loss

Leaving a gap in your mouth for too long will cause bone loss in the jaw. Such loss is known as bone resorption. The tissue in bones gradually breaks down, causing minerals to release and calcium to move from bone tissue to blood. This occurs when a tooth is missing and the natural tooth roots are not present in the jawbone. The result is a space that gradually causes the jawbone to dissipate.

The problem only gets worse when bone loss impacts healthy teeth around the missing tooth. Such healthy teeth are that much more susceptible to decay. Furthermore, the chances of gum disease are higher in the region of the missing tooth. Bone resorption might even alter the look of your face. This process has the potential to make your lips appear sunken and asymmetrical.

A Missing Tooth Alters Your Ability to Eat and Digest Food

It might be challenging to chew or bite certain foods when you are missing a tooth. If this occurs, you will overuse teeth away from the gap in your mouth to compensate. The end result is often insufficient nutrition and a lower quality of health. You might even have digestive issues resulting from the consumption of soft foods or failing to completely chew food prior to swallowing. If you cannot properly break down food during the chewing process, digestion will prove that much more uncomfortable.

A Missing Tooth can Even Impact Speech

The failure to replace a missing tooth can alter your speech. Those who are missing one or several front teeth find it difficult to pronounce certain words. In some cases, a missing tooth causes the patient to speak with a lisp. The inability to speak in a normal manner will make others think less of you and make social interactions more awkward.

Malocclusion

A gapped smile might lead to the development of misaligned teeth, known as a malocclusion. Teeth that are not properly aligned will prove problematic as the chompers surrounding the lost tooth will shift toward one another in an attempt to fill the gap. In certain cases, such movement will cause opposing teeth to erupt and possibly boost sensitivity to temperature and sugary foods and beverages.

You can prevent all of the problems detailed above by visiting GK Dental PC as soon as possible after losing a tooth. We have an array of procedures at our disposal to fill the gap in your mouth and preserve your oral health.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with GK Dental PC, request an appointment in our Everett dental office here: https://gkdentaloffice.com. Or call us at (617) 826-6075.