Losing one or more permanent teeth can negatively impact the appearance of your smile and your ability to speak and chew properly. But failing to replace missing teeth can also set off a chain reaction of oral health problems.
When teeth are lost and not replaced, it interrupts the carefully balanced system in your mouth. This can lead to issues with your bite alignment, bone loss, increased disease risk and other dental complications. Replacing lost teeth is essential to maintain proper oral function and your overall health.
Misalignment and Shifting Teeth Disrupt Your Bite
Your upper and lower teeth are designed to fit together in a specific manner, with each tooth playing an important role in this puzzle. When one or more teeth are missing, the remaining teeth will start to shift and tilt into the newly created space. This movement will disrupt your precise bite alignment and can prevent your jaws from fitting together properly while speaking or chewing.
Misaligned teeth increase your risk for problems like chipping or fracturing of enamel, excessive wear, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). It also becomes more difficult to chew and break down food, which can lead to poor nutritional intake. The changes to your bite caused by missing teeth will only worsen over time without replacement, so be sure to visit your Oshawa dentist the moment you have lost your tooth.
Bone Loss Alters Facial Structure
The stimulus provided by your teeth as you chew allows your jawbone to maintain its mass and structural integrity. When you have lost a tooth, the lack of stimulation/pressure causes gradual bone loss in the jaw. This loss of bone mass also occurs under dentures that don’t adequately fit or place pressure on the jaw.
Accelerated bone loss caused by missing teeth can lead to changes in your facial structure, giving your face a prematurely aged appearance as skin and tissues sag. It also increases your risk of fracture and other health impacts related to osteoporosis. Your facial appearance and bone health will continue to decline without replacing lost teeth.
Increased Risk of Infection & Decay
The gaps left by missing teeth provide places for food particles and bacteria to build up. This accumulation and increased vulnerability can lead to an infected tooth and decay—an oral health concern that can quickly spread. Proper cleaning will be more difficult, while buildup around adjacent teeth raises your risk for cavities and periodontal disease.
Gaps from missing teeth also allow bacteria directly into your gums and the roots of your teeth, causing increased inflammation. And since your bite alignment is off, chewing becomes less efficient, and you can’t break down food properly. Poor nutrition and digestive issues may then subtly develop with time.
Replacing missing teeth minimizes these complications, and ensures you will not experience debilitating pain due to neglect and subsequent oral health concerns.
Tooth Replacement: Restored Structural Stability & Bite Function
Dental implants are the typical solution for individuals who are missing teeth. You can replace the tooth roots to prevent bone loss and mimic the feel of your natural teeth. Partial and full dentures are removable alternatives that can replace single or multiple missing teeth. Dental bridges span spaces through attachment to neighbouring natural teeth. Your oral health professional at our dental office in Oshawa will help you select the appropriate tooth replacement method based on your specific oral health condition.
When you receive a tooth replacement from our dentist in Oshawa, you may notice improvements to your chewing and speech functions, restoring your bite alignment and the appearance of your smile. A tooth replacement may also prevent harmful bone loss to help maintain your facial structure, shape, and contours. By strengthening your jawbone, implants or well-fitted dentures provide facial support for your optimal oral health.
Delaying tooth replacement will only increase negative effects on your dental and overall well-being, as complications may arise.
The Takeaway: Visit Your Oshawa Dentist
Missing teeth can disrupt your oral health in several ways, with significant consequences for your oral health and wellness. Speak to your trusted Oshawa dentist at KR dental promptly about tooth replacement solutions if you have recently lost a tooth or multiple teeth.
Our team will work with you for a quick assessment, providing treatment to restore your mouth’s proper bite functioning and structural stability. Maintaining your complete smile is an important investment in yourself.