Many people think that missing a tooth is only an aesthetic or cosmetic problem. But there’s more than this one reason to replace a missing tooth.
Yes,
Nobody indeed wants a gap in their mouth. And that sometimes we may even be embarrassed. But did you know that missing teeth can have a severe impact on your oral and general health?
Stay tuned and find out the top 5 reasons why you should replace a missing tooth.
Further oral health issues
A missing tooth can lead to bone loss and further change in your bite and the shape of your face, affecting the remaining teeth and your jaw.
It can also lead to gum diseases and talks about bacteria partying in your mouth…
Remember, your mouth is the doorway to your organism!
Functionality
If your teeth are misaligned due to the gap left by a missing tooth, your primary dental functions will be affected too.
In that sense, you may not chew your food accordingly, developing digestive issues.
And that’s not all…
Your teeth arcs are also partly-responsible for your way of speaking. Leaving a gap can change the airflow in your mouth. As a consequence, your way of speaking may change drastically too.
Possible TMJ disorder
The temporomandibular joint disorder -often caused by a missing tooth- happens when the connection between the muscles on the sides of your cheeks and your jaw is misconnected.
The result of suffering this condition is stiffness and pain that can reflect the head and neck.
Loss of self-confidence
All the aesthetic and health issues, while they may not seem like much when seen separately, may end up affecting your self-esteem after a while.
If you are particularly uncomfortable with the situation or the gap is visible when you smile, it may get into your head and develop depression or anxiety.
Other teeth can fall after losing the first tooth
All the movement generated by the gap where the missing tooth was loosened up your gums. If the tooth isn’t replaced for too long, it may result in your gums not being able to retain the rest of the teeth, which will eventually fall as well.
Increased risk of heart disease
As we mentioned before, if your tooth fell out due to tooth decay, chances are your oral bacteria is on a rampage.
The issue is that once these bacteria enter the bloodstream, they may generate endocarditis and cardiovascular disease.
As you can see, even if you think you don’t care about the aesthetics, not replacing a missing tooth can lead to several other issues. And the sum of these, plus the cosmetic factor, can prove annoying over time.
Make sure you understand well these reasons why you should replace a missing tooth and, if it’s your case, you take action soon! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our Hornsby dentists.
