How Crucial Is It to Replace Missing Teeth?

Losing a tooth can be devastatingly upsetting, whether due to trauma or decay. With age comes an increased likelihood that one or more teeth will fall out, making the gap untreated all too apparent. While leaving gaps untreated might seem tempting at first, replacing lost teeth should be treated promptly for health and cosmetic purposes. In this blog, we discuss why replacing missing teeth is so critical.

Replace Missing Teeth to Restore the Aesthetics of Both Mouth and Face

A missing tooth can make an individual self-conscious about their smile; over time, surrounding teeth will shift into place to compensate for the tooth’s absence, leading to further cosmetic damage. Dental implants, bridges, and dentures all present different options for replacing lost teeth; it is best to consult a dentist regarding each option for replacement before making your decision.

Missing Teeth Can Affect Our Eating and Speaking Patterns

Teeth work together to assist with chewing and pronouncing words clearly. When one or more are missing, this can create difficulties with speech and eating. Food may become lodged between gaps, causing discomfort or pain. Replacing these missing teeth in an appropriate manner will restore natural chewing and speech patterns.

Missing Teeth Can Contribute to Bone Loss in the Jaw

Teeth are essential for stimulating bone tissue, and without them, bone tissue begin to recede, causing hollowing in the mouth and ultimately leading to teeth falling out. Dental implants offer the best way of replacing missing teeth while simultaneously stimulating bone tissue, unlike dentures which do not imitate this function as effectively and lead to irreparable bone loss that requires further procedures to treat.

Missing Teeth Can Pose Numerous Oral Health Challenges

Gaps in teeth can trap food particles and bacteria, leading to decay and gum disease. In turn, this increases the susceptibility for the tissues that hold teeth in place to become infected, eventually leading to tooth loss. If left untreated, gaps become larger. Furthermore, missing teeth put extra strain on remaining ones, which may weaken them further or even cause them to fracture. Therefore, it's crucial that gaps be filled as soon as possible in order to prevent potential oral health complications caused by missing teeth.

Missing Teeth Can Create Emotional Strain

Studies have revealed that missing teeth may contribute to anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression, all factors which may erode self-confidence in social situations as well as individual and work relationships. Restoring missing teeth can have a dramatic impact on the quality of life not only for oral health purposes but also for overall emotional wellbeing too.

Conclusion

Replacing missing teeth as soon as possible is imperative since missing ones can have serious repercussions in terms of aesthetic, function, and emotional well-being. Ignoring missing teeth could eventually lead to additional complications and costly procedures requiring extensive repair work. A dentist is best qualified to discuss all the available solutions for replacing lost teeth; schedule an appointment today if you think a missing tooth might be an issue for you!

If you're interested in learning more about implant restoration, and if you're a good candidate for it, contact us at Westwood Dental. Let's book you for an assessment with our dentist.