When you lose a permanent tooth, your dentist will bring up tooth replacement options to fill in the gap and restore your smile. However, if you’re missing a tooth in the back of your mouth, no one will notice that it’s not there, so is there really a point in replacing it? The truth is that there are many risks that come up when there is a missing tooth in any area of your mouth, even if you can’t see it. Here are some of the most prominent ones.
Difficulty Chewing
When there’s a gap in your smile in the back of your mouth, chewing becomes a much more difficult task. You may even end up limiting your food options so you can have an easier time breaking up the food in your mouth. This can mean cutting out important nutrients from your diet. By replacing your missing tooth with a dental implant, you can regain up to 90% of your natural chewing power, therefore allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods once again.
Wear and Tear of Surrounding teeth
When you have fewer teeth in your mouth to chew with, the work isn’t going to be distributed as well. This means that your other teeth will be doing more work and ultimately will experience more wear and tear over time. The crown that is placed on the end of your dental implant is very durable, just like a natural tooth, so it will be able to take on some of the labor of chewing.
Misalignment Issues
When the is a space between your teeth, the surrounding teeth will eventually shift around to fill in the gap. This can lead to overcrowding, crooked teeth, and bite issues. By filling in this gap with a dental implant, you can prevent the need for orthodontic work in the future.
Bone Loss
If you are missing a tooth, your jawbone isn’t being stimulated in that area anymore. Ultimately, your body will begin to resorb the bone, causing the structure of your face to change. This means sunken cheeks and wrinkled lips, making you look much older than you actually are. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option available that replaces the root of the missing tooth, therefore stimulating the jawbone through regular chewing and preventing bone loss.
TMJ Dysfunction
When the structure of your mouth changes, you are more likely to develop temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). This causes jaw pain and headaches. Replacing your missing tooth will prevent the structure of your mouth from changing.
It might not seem like a big deal to have a gap where no one can see it, but for the sake of your oral health and the future of your smile, it is in your best interest to seek a tooth replacement option. This way, you can show a complete grin for many years down the road.
About the Author
At Texas Dentistry and Braces, we have a team of seven skilled dentists serving patients in Mesquite. With their combined experience and expertise, patients can get pretty much anything they need under one roof. To learn more about dental implants or to schedule a consultation, visit our website or call (972) 329-4200.