The Risks of Not Replacing Teeth

Missing teeth aren’t something you want to think about.  It’s painful and embarrassing.  But the problems associated with having missing teeth aren’t going to go away on their own.  In fact, the situation is very likely to get worse without professional intervention.

The Consequences of Ignoring Missing Teeth

The teeth in a healthy mouth support one another.  If even one tooth is missing, it can have a deleterious effect on your gums, your jawbone, and your remaining teeth.  If you are missing any teeth at all, you should see a dentist as soon as possible to discuss possible solutions.  Otherwise, this serious situation will probably get worse.  Here are some of the potential hazards you face if you don’t replace your missing teeth:

• Jawbone depletion—Your jawbone begins to dissolve as soon as you lose a tooth.
• Gum disease—Redness, swelling, and bleeding of the gums caused by infection.
• Additional loss of teeth—Teeth tend to slide around in the gaps left by missing teeth, which can exasperate gum disease and lead to the loss of even more teeth.
• Difficulty speaking—Your teeth play an important role in speaking which can become difficult if one or more are missing.

The teeth in a healthy mouth support one another.  If even one tooth is missing, it can have a deleterious effect on your gums, your jawbone, and your remaining teeth.

When a tooth is missing, it causes the remaining teeth to slide around.  This increases the probability that you will get gum disease, which can in turn lead to the loss of even more teeth.

As soon as a tooth is lost or extracted, the jawbone in that region of the mouth immediately begins to deteriorate.  In fact, the jawbone will quick resorb (dissolve) all the way down to the basal bone.

Unlike dentures and dental bridges, dental implants are the only tooth replacement technology that will prevent both gum disease and jawbone depletion that result from tooth loss.