What you need to know about missing teeth

A missing tooth is the most painful thing that can happen when ruining a smile. But the problems of a missing tooth go far beyond a person's appearance or the embarrassment they may feel.

It is common to think that a missing tooth or molar only brings aesthetic inconveniences, but nothing could be further from the truth. It can be the cause of other oral issues.

Unfortunately, tooth loss often occurs in adults due to tooth decay, gum disease, or trauma, and this loss is not as simple as putting the tooth under the pillow and waiting for the tooth fairy.

Consequences of missing teeth for your health

Teeth are meant to last a lifetime, but even so, people lose them all the time. Injury, age, disease, and decay all work against teeth, which means you end up with fewer teeth than when you started. 

It is estimated that at least 178 million teeth are missing in the U.S., and 40 million have lost all of them. Multiple factors can cause missing teeth in adulthood. The causes may be various, although in all cases, a check-up by a specialist dentist will be necessary.

A gaping hole where there should be a tooth is not only unattractive; it can be dangerous. Missing teeth cause health problems, not directly, but by making the disease more likely. Once specific oral issues take hold, they, in turn, contribute to several severe medical conditions.

Whether the dentist has extracted the tooth or fallen out, the advice is the same: it is best to replace missing teeth quickly before they cause further damage to the mouth and the rest of the body. 

Some oral issues caused by missing teeth

Although teeth and tooth enamel are the most vital part of the human body, they are not immune to wear and tear. If they are lost, fall out or become too severely damaged, serious complications can arise.

When tooth loss occurs, your local Lake Havasu City dentist can replace the tooth with a dental implant, dentures, or a dental bridge to maintain the gum structure and functionality of the teeth. 

However, many adults choose to do without that particular tooth without knowing the significant health risks involved in not replacing that missing tooth. The resulting problems can be psychological, functional or health-related. Some of them are:

Difficulty chewing

The ability to chew is essential because it is the first step in the digestive process. If you cannot chew well, your digestive system will have difficulty processing the nutrients in your diet. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies and digestive disorders, such as heartburn (GERD) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

There are four types of teeth; incisors, canines, premolars, and molars, each of which serves an essential function in helping to chew food. Missing any of these teeth will affect how you chew and consume food.

Constant chewing on one side of the mouth causes additional wear on the other teeth leading to possible long-term fractures or wear on the jawbone.

Speech problems 

Teeth play a vital role in the way speech sounds, as the teeth, tongue, lips, cheeks, and vocal tract coordinate with each other to create the necessary sounds and words. The presence of spaces between teeth can cause complications when pronouncing specific phonemes.

Strident sounds are most affected by these gaps in the front of the mouth, and words such as "zoo," "shoe," and "fish" require airflow friction between the teeth. Other impacted sounds are "th" sounds such as "the" or "thing."

With missing teeth, you may find yourself spitting at your friends or peers while speaking or not articulating words as usual.

Not to mention that the remaining teeth will tend to move around and take up the spaces, leading to cosmetic discomfort and dental malocclusion. If the holes are in the central part, the smile will be affected and may also alter the facial features.

Gum wear and tear 

Chronically irritated gums are much more likely to develop gum disease or infection. Teeth are designed for chewing, while gums are not. 

Even if you try to avoid chewing foods where your teeth are missing, crunchy or hard foods can cause irritation, redness, and sensitivity.

Following a thorough oral care regimen at home after replacing missing teeth will help prevent future gum disease, thus protecting your cardiovascular health.

Best Restorative Dentistry in Lake Havasu City, A

Missing teeth doesn't mean the end of having a beautiful, healthy smile. The best way to avoid all these oral issues and regain self-confidence is to replace your missing tooth as soon as possible. Restorative dentistry is the gold standard for solving the problem of missing teeth, and at Havasu Dentistry, you are in good hands. 

Dr. Kurtz and his team of experts offer different tooth replacement options tailored to your needs and quality advice to find the best solution to restore your smile. 

So if you have other dental concerns or want to replace your missing teeth, call us at (928) 733-6070 or visit our website to schedule an appointment and find the best solution.