Once a tooth is lost, many oral problems may arise. Teeth are meant to work together and if any of them are lost, your remaining teeth may be put at risk. You may experience more problems if you don’t replace them with permanent dentures. Some of these are gum problems, speech defect, and TMJ disorder. These may even have real and adverse effects on the quality of your life.
Your Jawbone Deteriorates
Your teeth help support the jawbone by applying pressure when you chew food. This keeps the bone cells from deteriorating. When your tooth root is absent, the bone cells begin to die off and the supporting bone in your jaw begins to dissolve.
If many or all of your teeth are missing, the entire jawbone deteriorates and dramatically affects your facial appearance. This makes you look much older than you really are.
Your Remaining Teeth Begin to Shift
Each tooth is important to the proper alignment of your bite. All your teeth support one another. When you neglect your missing teeth, your other teeth will begin to shift to available spaces. Food remnants may go into these spaces, increasing the chances of tooth decay and gum disease.
Your remaining teeth may start growing downwards or upwards, as they have nothing to chew against. This causes the bite to change and may even lead to TMJ problems including headaches and other discomfort.
Replacing missing teeth with mini-implants may save you from these troubles and improve your dental health. Extraction is also the last resort when you have broken or damaged tooth. Dentists will try to save them as much as possible to avoid gaps and misalignment. We may instead recommend crowns and bridges to fix your tooth.
Call our office and set an appointment to learn more about these dental solutions.