Missing teeth do more than ruin your beautiful smile. It takes only one missing tooth to put your health at risk in more ways than you may realize.
The longer you wait to replace missing teeth, the higher your chances of damaging more teeth, losing bone, and developing gum disease. These conditions allow bacteria to reach your bloodstream and affect your general health.
Our team at Northwest Dental Services & Denture Implant Center specializes in restoring your teeth and improving your well-being. Here are five reasons why it’s crucial to replace missing teeth.
Smiling without feeling embarrassed is the top reason people seek dental care for missing teeth. And no one should underestimate the importance of smiling.
People who are embarrassed or ashamed of their teeth lose their self-esteem and confidence. Their unwillingness to smile portrays them as aloof, unhappy, or angry. By comparison, smiling communicates that you’re interested in others, friendly, and approachable.
Missing teeth can affect your social, personal, and professional life. You can reclaim your life by restoring missing teeth.
Difficulty biting and chewing is the second-most common reason people visit their dentist for missing teeth.
This problem can force you to skip some favorite foods. In turn, it may make you feel awkward around the dinner table when family or friends question why you’re not eating.
Losing the ability to eat healthy foods that are firm, crunchy, or chewy also leads to a poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, and digestive problems.
Further, chewing is essential for digestion. Chewing releases saliva, which has enzymes that start digesting carbohydrates. Chewing and grinding down your food also makes the stomach’s job easier, warding off problems like gas, bloating, and cramping that may develop if large pieces of food get into your stomach.
Missing teeth lead to dental problems like misalignment, tooth damage, and gum disease:
You need a full mouth of teeth to keep them in the proper alignment. A missing tooth creates an open space, allowing the neighboring teeth to shift toward the gap. The movement may be so slight that you can’t see it, but it still throws your teeth out of alignment.
Alignment is vital because it ensures your teeth function as a unit. By comparison, misalignment causes an uneven bite. This affects chewing, making it hard to clean your teeth and opening the door to cavities.
Your teeth are designed to share the extreme pressure of biting and chewing. When a tooth is out of alignment, other teeth bear more pressure. This extra pressure leads to cracking and uneven wear and tear — problems that cause decay and tooth loss.
Your gums usually fit snugly around each tooth, preventing food and bacteria from getting below the surface. A missing tooth is like a welcome mat for small food particles and bacteria because they can build up in an area where they’re difficult to remove with brushing.
The accumulating bacteria can then cause a gum infection (gingivitis). Without treatment, gingivitis progresses, eroding the jawbone and eventually leading to tooth loss.
Did you know that your jawbone needs stimulation from teeth to grow new bone? Your bones (including the jawbone) stay strong by continuously eliminating old or damaged bone and replacing it with new, strong bone.
The tooth root sends pressure from chewing and biting into the bone, stimulating the new bone growth that strengthens your jaw.
If you don’t replace missing teeth, the bone starts to degenerate. As a result, it can’t support your teeth. Changes in the jaw also affect your facial structure, altering your appearance.
Replacing missing teeth with dental implants supports a healthy jawbone because the implant fills the role of the original tooth root.
Missing teeth, cracked teeth, cavities, and gum disease allow bacteria to travel from your mouth into your bloodstream. When that happens, the bacteria can cause inflammation and health problems throughout your body.
Poor dental health is associated with diabetes, heart disease, and lung infections. Restoring missing teeth helps stop bacteria in your mouth from contributing to serious health conditions.
We specialize in replacing missing teeth with dental implants and other options like bridges and dentures. Call Northwest Dental Services & Denture Implant Center today to learn about the best choice for restoring your dental health.
