Missing Teeth

Missing teeth can cause severe health dangers, and its disadvantages are beyond aesthetics. Deciding to replace missing teeth can help retain a person's overall oral health. Waiting too long to replace missing teeth can cause various infections and other health challenges. For better comprehension, here's a breakdown of the risks involved in deciding not to replace a tooth.

Shifting Teeth

The human teeth don't operate individually. Instead, each tooth exerts pressure on either side. With the pressure, the teeth remain aligned. Hence, all the teeth in the mouth rely on the support from adjacent teeth to stay in place in the gum tissue. When there are one or more missing teeth, the teeth on either side may drift inward to the direction of the missing tooth.

In the mouth, adjacent teeth can drift enough to cause problems like "crowding" due to the unreplaced missing teeth. Crowding is a condition that describes the lack of space for the teeth to fit perfectly within the jaws. Apart from missing teeth, crowding occurs when there's an imbalance between tooth and jaw size.

If there's a growth in the gap of a missing tooth, it can create tight spaces between teeth and jaw, causing super-eruption. It can also cause uncomfortable pressure. Over time, brushing becomes difficult, and bacterial growth may occur.

Some tooth replacement options for these missing teeth include:

  • Dental bridges
  • Dental implants
  • Dentures

Jaw Complications

According to Times Square Dental, Temporomandibular (TMJ) disorder is a common condition that causes pain in the jaw joint and muscles controlling jaw movement. Apart from missing teeth, TMJ disorders also occur due to genetics or arthritis. Most people with TMJ tend to clench and grind their teeth consistently.

In the mouth, the jawbones and gums play an imperative role in anchoring the roots of the teeth. Tooth roots in the gum tissues stimulate the jawbone and may cause the body to repair damaged cells. Without tooth roots, the body may reabsorb parts of the gum and jawbones. Ultimately, it accelerates tooth loss and changes facial structure.

When an individual loses the upper jawbone, it creates an inward curve in the face, typically called facial collapse. For the lower jawbone, a person's chin recedes and diminishes the jawline.

In the case of gum tissue loss, prosthetics like dentures can help counteract the effects of a missing tooth. However, prosthetics also don't function to stimulate jawbones. Instead, our Boise dentist at Times Square Dental recommends other options like dental implants and implant-supported bridges.

Gum Diseases

After losing a tooth, the chances of the individual getting gum diseases are high due to bacterial infections. There are various factors that can cause an increase in bacterial infection after losing a tooth, which causes gum deterioration. One of the major contributing factors for an increase in bacterial infection is an empty dental socket. It's an easy area inside the mouth for the collection of food particles and bacteria. Once the mouth has an empty dental socket and there are bacteria and plaques in it, brushing may not be effective.

In worse-case scenarios, an empty dental socket may allow the entry of bacteria into the bloodstream. Bacteria get into the bloodstream via exposed blood vessels beneath the socket. Oral bacteria can result in more complicated health conditions like heart and lung diseases, inflammation of the heart valve, pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and dementia.

Eating Problems

Missing teeth can cause issues with eating many foods, especially hard, crunchy, or sticky meals. Individuals may experience constant pain and hurt their gums and teeth near the missing region. Without early treatment or replacement, individuals may need to give up consuming various foods. Alongside eating problems, a missing tooth can also cause severe cases of headache as the teeth begin to over-erupt. Over eruption causes damage to the opposing gum due to a lack of a corresponding tooth below or beside the tooth.

Loss of teeth can also cause decreased appetite. In many cases, it damages the natural sensory input causing a change in taste and texture preferences. Hence, individuals may enjoy food less. Chewing on one side of the mouth due to pain can also cause over-taxing of that healthy part. Hence, the structure of the teeth changes. Skipping certain foods due to chewing problems prevents individuals from eating a balanced diet. When that occurs, it affects the individual's overall health.

Sinus Expansion

Sinus expansion typically occurs with teeth lost from the back upper jaw. When that occurs, the sinus cavity expands and erodes jawbone. Note that the sinuses are four paired cavities in the head connected by narrow channels. During tooth extraction or implant insertion, the dentist at Times Square Dental also maximizes the use of sinus expansion.

Loss of Bone

Every bone in the body functions in the same way - when an individual uses the bones, they become stronger. On the other hand, when individuals don't use the bones, they become weaker. For this reason, licensed doctors also advise elderly individuals to do some weightlifting, as it increases bone density. In the mouth, a missing tooth will begin to eat away at the jawbone that holds its connection. With time, it can change the shape of an individual's face.

Bone loss typically occurs in the bone supporting the tooth, also known as the alveolar bone. The Alveolar bone is responsible for forming the ridges, which embeds the teeth. Note that the ridges atrophy both horizontally and vertically.

Replacing one or more of the teeth using partial or full dentures doesn't give a solution to the problem. Dentures exert small amounts of chewing pressure on the bone, different from natural teeth, which is as little as 10 percent or less. In most cases, bone loss is the result of the other dangers of replacing missing teeth. Jawbone tooth replacement helps prevent bone loss as it exerts similar pressure to that of natural teeth.

Get Teeth Replacement at Times Square Dental

Even though teeth replacement may seem unimportant, there are severe adverse effects of not acting. Avoiding replacement may cause gum diseases, eating problems, jaw complications, and shifting teeth. Overall, teeth replacement improves an individual's oral health. It also gives the face better aesthetics due to a better bone structure.

Our dedicated experts at Times Square Dental can help with teeth replacement in Boise, ID. Please make an appointment or contact us at 208-314-1901.