Missing teeth are more than just a cosmetic concern. Our teeth work together to perform various functions, and gaps between them can have negative effects on our overall oral health and well-being.
Living with missing teeth can lead to a range of consequences, from an unattractive smile to unconsciously covering your mouth or avoiding smiling and talking altogether. Missing teeth can also impact jaw function, limit your diet, and cause malocclusion (misalignment of teeth). Additionally, they may affect your self-confidence and the way you interact with others.
Missing teeth in one or both jaws may cause several issues:
- Difficulties in Eating
When you don’t have a complete set of functional teeth, eating can become challenging, sometimes nearly impossible. Gaps between teeth allow neighboring teeth to drift into the empty spaces. Opposing and adjacent teeth help maintain proper positioning, so when teeth shift, you may experience bite alignment problems, jaw stress, and uneven tooth wear.
Nutritious foods like raw fruits and vegetables can be particularly difficult to bite or chew with missing teeth, which may lead to compromised nutrition. Moreover, when teeth drift closer together, cleaning out food debris becomes harder, promoting bacterial growth that erodes tooth enamel and causes further tooth loss and gum disease.
- Bone Loss
Tooth loss directly leads to bone loss in the jaw. The bone that once surrounded and supported the missing teeth begins to deteriorate, and the longer the teeth are absent, the greater the bone loss.
This is important for two main reasons:
First, teeth and their supporting bones help maintain facial features. When lips and cheeks lose this support, the face can take on a collapsed, aged appearance, which is why people without teeth often look older and sad.
Second, the more bone loss occurs, the more difficult it becomes for a dentist to successfully replace missing teeth with dental implants. Significant bone loss can increase the cost and extent of necessary procedures.
What You Can Do
Whether you’re missing one tooth, several teeth, or all of your teeth, dental implants offer a natural-looking solution to fully restore your smile.
Dental implants are metal frames that replace the root of a missing tooth. They are positioned in the jawbone beneath the gums to support a crown (artificial tooth). The advantage of dental implants is that they closely mimic natural teeth and are the only tooth replacement method that can prevent bone loss.
Dental implants are typically made of titanium, which can fuse with the jawbone, providing a strong foundation for artificial teeth. Implants offer a stable base for bridges and dentures, making them feel more natural when speaking or eating.
Studies show that dental implants provide the best long-term solution for tooth replacement, with a success rate exceeding 95%.
Conclusion
If you’re dealing with missing teeth, the experienced Carrum Downs Dental Group team can help. They specialize in dental implants and can guide you through restoring your smile and improving your quality of life. Contact Carrum Downs Dental Group today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how dental implants can benefit you.
