Tooth loss is a common dental problem that can significantly impact an adult’s physical and emotional well-being. Losing a tooth or teeth can hinder your ability to eat and speak correctly and cause jaw bone loss, which can be painful and affect your facial structure. It can also prevent you from smiling confidently.
Fortunately, a reliable family dentist will offer restorative dentistry solutions to replace missing teeth and prevent oral health problems. Therefore, you should prioritize tooth replacement and understand the consequences of not doing this step immediately. It will help you preserve dental health and maintain a beautiful smile.
If you’re ready to maintain your mouth’s good health, this article will enumerate what happens if you don’t replace missing teeth. We’ll also discuss some ways a family dentist can help.
1. Higher Risk of Oral Infections and Gum Disease
If you don’t let a family dentist replace a missing tooth, it can cause bacterial infections and gum diseases. It can also lead to the other teeth becoming infected because of their constant exposure to the bacteria. Moreover, it creates a destructive cycle in your mouth and increases the chances of losing more teeth next to it.
2. Eating and Speaking Difficulties
Properly chewing, eating, and speaking can be difficult when you have missing teeth. This situation can cause discomfort and change your eating and speaking habits. Sometimes, you may avoid certain foods or talk as much, affecting your health and relationships. Also, being unable to speak clearly can cause misunderstandings and make us feel emotionally drained.
3. Bone Loss in the Jaws
The space where the tooth was can become a breeding ground for bacteria and damage the surrounding bone and minerals. Over time, it can lead to a loss of bone density and even change your facial shape, resulting in a sunken, older appearance.
4. Low Self-Confidence and Harmed Mental Well-Being
Missing teeth can affect your mental well-being because we commonly link a smile to feelings of self-assurance and self-worth. Some people refrain from smiling or laughing freely because of crooked or absent teeth. However, when you allow your family dentist to place dental implants to replace missing teeth, you can feel more self-assured and comfortable flashing your smile to others.
5. Orthodontic Issues Like Teeth Misalignment
Not replacing a missing tooth can cause further dental problems, like the misalignment of nearby teeth. When there is a space in your mouth, the teeth surrounding it will slowly move, causing issues like teeth crowding, overbites, underbites, discomfort, and crookedness. Therefore, you should let a family dentist fill in these gaps to avoid these complications.
3 Ways to Replace Your Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can bring severe problems beyond cosmetic issues. Fortunately, a reputable family dentist can help you regain your best smile and oral health. This section enumerates some solutions they can offer.
1. Dental Bridges
A dental bridge is a false tooth connected to nearby teeth with crowns. While your family dentist may need to replace it after five to seven years, many dental insurance plans cover it.
2. Dental Implants
Dental implants are a modern solution for missing teeth that look and feel like natural teeth. They replace the lost tooth’s roots with an artificial titanium root, preserving tooth functionality and jaw structure. Your dentist places a crown on top to make it look like a natural tooth, and they can last a lifetime.
3. Partial or Full Dentures
Many family dentists recommend partial or complete dentures for people with multiple missing teeth. They are non-surgical and cost-effective, but you should remove and clean them regularly.
Conclusion
Nobody deserves to suffer from missing teeth because they can hurt your self-esteem and oral health. You can save yourself from these expensive mistakes by immediately going to your family dentist to replace the lost teeth.
If you need a professional family dentist in Melrose, MA, to replace your missing teeth, visit Melrose Dental Group! Dr. Piro Leno and the staff are committed to helping our patients smile better through comprehensive customized dental care and oral health education. Schedule an appointment at our clinic now!