Why Your Missing Teeth Need to Be Replaced ASAP!

It’s easy to take your teeth for granted until you’ve lost or had to extract a tooth. If you’re grappling with a missing tooth, you may be wondering if it’s absolutely necessary to replace your missing teeth and whether you can put it off for later. 

The truth is, the impact of missing teeth extends beyond just aesthetics. Missing teeth can be quite detrimental to your oral health and overall well-being. And the longer you wait to replace your missing teeth, the more complex these issues can become. This is why it’s important to replace your missing teeth as soon as possible. 

Before looking at why you should replace missing teeth, let’s look at the most common causes of tooth loss. 

Causes of Missing Teeth  

• Tooth decay – Bacteria in your mouth can turn sugars in food and drinks you consume into acids that can damage your teeth and lead to tooth decay. Left untreated, this condition can progress, leading to infections. When decay and cavities spread deeper, you may need to extract your tooth to prevent the infection from spreading. 
• Gum disease – Severe gum disease can damage the tissues that hold your teeth in place. As a result, your gums may shrink, eventually leading to bone deterioration and, inevitably, tooth loss. Poor oral hygiene is often the culprit behind gum disease. 
• Dental trauma – Life can be unpredictable, and accidents or injuries to your mouth and face during sports or physical activities can result in tooth loss. Custom mouthguards are recommended for those involved in high-contact sports to minimise the risk of tooth loss. 
• Genetics and medication – Due to certain genetic conditions, you may have gaps in your smile, as your permanent teeth may not grow in at all. Additionally, certain medications can also lead to tooth loss. 

Why Should I Replace My Missing Teeth?

Proper oral hygiene and care can help prevent tooth loss. However, with life’s twists and turns, you may have a missing tooth or need extraction. When that happens, the question arises: why should I replace my missing teeth? While there are many reasons as to why you should, here are some of the most common reasons: 

1. Super-Eruption of Teeth

A super-erupted tooth can occur when you have a missing tooth, or a tooth is removed. Each tooth is built to have a partner on the opposite arch, and when you have a missing tooth, it can cause the opposite tooth to erupt further out of its socket. This is because the other tooth has nothing to stabilise it on the opposite arch. The result? Wobbly, sensitive teeth that jut out higher than the neighbouring teeth. Acting promptly is important as super-erupted teeth are more prone to cavities, root damage and other dental issues. 

2. Misalignment of Adjacent Teeth 

Losing a tooth can lead to a chain reaction, with adjacent teeth shifting and tilting. Because a gap is left, the teeth surrounding the missing tooth will begin to move towards the gap to fill the space. This results in a misaligned smile and bite, affecting your ability to chew and eat effortlessly like you once did. Left untreated, misaligned teeth can put excessive strain on your jaw, leading to conditions such as teeth grinding (also known as Bruxism).

3. Bone Resorption 

Your tooth root plays a major role in stimulating the jawbone, helping it maintain density and strength. But when you lose a tooth, you also lose the tooth root, meaning your jawbone doesn’t get the needed stimulation. This can lead to the bone shrinking away. Over time, bone resorption can weaken the stability of adjoining teeth and also affect your facial shape, leaving you with a sunken appearance. Bone resorption can also affect your chances of successfully replacing your missing tooth with dental implants because implants require healthy bone density. In such cases, you may need additional dental treatments, such as a bone graft, to add volume and density to your jawbone.

4. Affects Functionality of Teeth 

Missing teeth can turn daily functions like chewing, eating and speaking into challenging tasks. When eating becomes difficult, you may have to restrict your diet, avoiding certain fruits, vegetables and meats. This can affect your nutrition intake, ultimately impacting your overall health. 

When you have missing teeth, you may begin to chew using just one side of your mouth, putting strain on your jaw and causing pain and discomfort. With teeth playing an important role in the pronunciation of words, loss of teeth can also lead to speech problems. 

5. Affects Your Confidence & Social Life 

Gaps in your smile can make you feel extremely self-conscious about your smile and appearance. As a result, the mere thought of social gatherings and smiling in photos can fill you with dread, really taking a toll on your confidence. 

This is why replacing your missing teeth ASAP is very important. Tackling missing teeth promptly means steering clear of potential problems and avoiding costly and complex dental treatments down the road. At Purity Dental, we specialise in replacing missing teeth and restoring beautiful smiles. With a range of dental restoration services, you can trust our highly experienced and skilled to restore your smile. 

The most common tooth replacement solutions we offer are: 

• Dental implants – These are small titanium screws inserted into your jawbone. Once integrated, implants provide a stable foundation for a crown or bridge, leaving you with a natural-looking smile. Depending on your needs, we will recommend single implants, implant-supported dentures or All-On-4 implants for you. 
• Dental bridges –  When there is a missing tooth gap, a dental bridge is used to bridge this gap by placing crowns on the teeth on either side and adding a fake tooth or “pontic” in between.
• Dentures – They are an entire row of artificial teeth that are removable. At Purity Dental, we offer full and partial dentures.

Want to find out which tooth replacement solution is the best for your unique needs? Call our friendly team to learn more!