4 huge risks of not replacing missing teeth

Missing Teeth: More than Just a Gap in Your Smile

While it is true that the most obvious effect of missing teeth is a gap in your smile, missing teeth can cause other problems that you might not be immediately aware of. For example, did you know that for every missing tooth you have you lose 10 percent of your chewing ability? Read on to get a better idea of how a missing tooth can affect your life.

Surrounding Teeth

A missing tooth usually means more stress for the remaining teeth. In addition to that, if you are missing a tooth on the lower jaw, the opposing tooth on the top can grow longer to fill the gap in a process known as superuption or extrusion. This could lead to teeth tilting and move out of place by drifting into the space that was left by your missing tooth – a disaster for your beautiful smile!

Digestive Health

If you are missing teeth, you can’t enjoy all of the foods that you are used to eating – bad for your health and bad for your mood! Say goodbye to caramel apples, saltwater taffy, crunchy carrots and even gum. And because the variety in your diet is reduced when a tooth is missing, digestive problems are unfortunate yet common.

Decay and Hygiene Problems

The shifting of your teeth may cause new hygiene issues as it may be difficult to brush and floss like you normally would. This leaves your mouth more vulnerable to gum disease and tooth decay.

Facial Aesthetics

People with more than one missing tooth may also have issues with a collapsed bite which causes a loss of vertical dimension. This could make your face appear shorter, as the distance between the tip of your nose and your chin would decrease.

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer anymore! Dental implants can help you avoid all of the problems listed above and let you live your life normally again.

Fix Smile Gaps With Dental Implants!

Dental implants are a permanent way to restore your smile to natural-looking beauty. Made to simulate the entire tooth—not just the part of the tooth that you can see above the gum—a properly placed dental implant will last for decades. Though you may have to replace the crown restoration after 10-20 years, the implant itself should remain in place after osseointegrating with the bone around it.

With dental implants, you can forget about all the problems listed above. Why? Dental implants solve each one of those issues immediately:

  • The teeth surrounding your missing tooth will have support on the side, just as if you had never lost a tooth at all! This means you can stop worrying that they may shift or drift out of place.
  • You can finally eat all the healthy foods that you like. Dental implants allow you to eat whatever you want, including crunchy vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
  • Your mouth will be less vulnerable to the risk of developing gum disease. As long as you keep up with oral care at-home, as well as attend all dental appointments, you will lower your likelihood of conditions related to having missing teeth.
  • Your smile will look just like you remembered. And maybe even better than you thought it could!

Trust An Expert Oral Surgeon To Place Your Dental Implants!

It’s never too late for a dental implant, give us a call at Lane Oral & Maxillofacial SurgeryPlymouth, MA and Sandwich, MA – to find out about this life-changing procedure and make an appointment with an oral surgeon today!

Want to know a little more about our lead oral surgeon and his impressive background before your first meeting? Dr. William F. Lane has practiced in the field of dentistry for more than 35 years. After undergoing undergraduate training at Harvard University, he advanced his education in the dental field at both Boston University and Tufts University. Today, he specializes in a variety of services, including the placement of dental implants.

In addition to being the founder of Lane Oral Surgery, Dr. Lane is considered a staff member at Plymouth, MA based Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. At the Hospital, he routinely performs emergency oral surgery on patients who require swift surgical intervention from a knowledgeable, trusted professional.

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