The missing teeth are sometimes an inevitability, no matter how hard you try to shield them. Injuries, infections, poor oral hygiene, and even bad genetics can cause you to lose your teeth as you grow old. Sadly, a lot of negative impacts of having missing teeth go beyond having a gap in your mouth.
Aesthetic Changes
The most obvious impact in your mouth that missing teeth can have is changes in your speech and difficulty eating certain foods. Although this is more of an inconvenience, other people are humiliated by the way they look with missing teeth on their smiles.
Bone and Jaw
The root is inserted in the jawbone with a healthy tooth, which causes the bone to expand regularly. Once that tooth is missing and an implant is not replaced, the jawbone may begin to deteriorate. This will not only lead to bone loss, it can also change your face look completely over time. Those with missing teeth may need oral surgeon implants to prevent bone loss.
Shifting Teeth
That tooth is used to keep the other teeth in place, and once one is missing, the others will continue to shift until you end up with a crooked smile that used to give you confidence. When teeth aren’t replaced when lost, the consequences may be detrimental to your trust in yourself.
Tooth Wear
If your teeth are missing, then your bite may completely change and cause additional wear and tear on your remaining teeth that have been protected in the past. This wear is often irreversible.
What Options Do You Have?
If you lose a tooth, there is no need to deal with the mental and physical effects that can affect your quality of life.
For more information on this and the other dental services that we offer at The Dental Studio of Midland, contact our Midland, TX offices to schedule an appointment to speak with Dr. Thompson.