What Happens If You Don’t Replace Missing Teeth?
If you’re missing one or two teeth, especially if the missing teeth are toward the back of your mouth where things are less visible, you may not be planning to replace the missing teeth. The fact is, however, that missing even a single tooth can lead to larger issues with a person’s oral health and even with their overall health. There are a few different options available for replacing teeth, no matter the number that are missing. In addition to the full removable dentures you might think of when you think of replacement options for an entire row of natural teeth, there are other choices that are both removable and permanent. Partial dentures can be an effective replacement selection for patients who are missing one tooth or just a few teeth, and there are a few different kinds of partial dentures. Implant dentures can also be a great option for replacing a few missing natural teeth, and dental implants in general can provide long-term dental replacement solutions. Regardless of your choice for dental restoration, replacing missing teeth is important for a variety of reasons.
If you elect to leave your missing teeth unaddressed and not replace them, you may encounter an assortment of concerns. When there is a gap in the teeth that remains when a tooth is extracted or falls out, the teeth adjacent to the gap could slowly drift into the space and cause the remaining teeth to become improperly aligned. In addition to causing issues with the bite and increasing the difficulty of proper cleaning, the teeth shifting out of alignment also causes damage to the teeth that are shifting. When permanent teeth move, the roots that hold them in the jaw can become weak from bearing the strain of a moving tooth. This affects their stability and their integrity and could gradually result in even more tooth loss. It’s also likely that the teeth that remain will bear a disproportionate amount of force during biting and chewing, as they compensate for the absence of the tooth or teeth, which can lead to uneven wear on the dental enamel and possibly compromise the integrity of these teeth. Imbalanced chewing can also cause jaw pain, which can radiate out and lead to chronic earaches or headaches that could be debilitating.
Bone loss is another big problem that arises when the natural teeth are missing. The roots of the teeth stimulate the bone tissue in which they live, just like exercise stimulates the muscles and the skeleton and helps keep them strong and healthy. When there is no tooth root present in the jawbone, the body perceives that this bone is no longer needed and the bone tissue begins to reabsorb into the body so that it can be used elsewhere. Dental implants can be used to replace natural tooth roots and support dental restorations like implant crowns, bridges, or overdentures, and when the patient chews or otherwise applies force to these artificial teeth, the implant stimulates and supports the bone tissue and helps keep it vital and robust. In turn, this helps the dental implant remain securely in place while maintaining a long-lasting, secure bond and encouraging the continued health of the oral cavity. Dental implants can also help improve a person’s overall health, as they can help solve the issues of imbalanced nutrition that often arise when a person has damaged or missing teeth and can no longer comfortably eat a variety of healthy foods. In light of these benefits and in light of the number of things that can happen if you don’t replace missing teeth, talk to your dentist about your dental replacement options, and think of them as investments in a healthy future.