7 Key Reasons To Replace Your Missing Teeth

Missing teeth are very common and they can be caused by accidents, medical conditions, or even poor dental routine. Although it may not seem like a big issue, if not treated at the right time, this issue can increase the risk of bone loss, tooth decay, or other dental conditions. Once a tooth is lost it leaves behind an empty tooth socket and many patients wonder what is the next step that they should take. Consulting with a specialized dentist and finding the right treatment for you will be very helpful. In this blog post, we will discuss the main reasons why replacing missing teeth is important for your overall health and why it should be not left untreated.

Image illustrating teeth shifting: a consequence of not replacing missing teeth.

Prevent other teeth from shifting

What is left when you lose a tooth is just a gap in its place. Our jaw has the natural tendency to shift the teeth located nearby next to each other to fill that gap. This process can cause problems like misalignment, crooked teeth, difficulty eating, tension on the jawbone, and the emergence of issues with the TMJ joint.

If this happens orthodontic treatment will be needed to position the teeth back to their original location. Crooked teeth can also be difficult to maintain because floss and toothbrushes cannot reach them. This will make your teeth more prone to gum infection and cavities. Replacing missing teeth will keep your teeth healthy and also protect their structure.

To Prevent Bone Loss

The power of chewing no longer stimulates the jawbone when a tooth is gone. In the end, this leads to the body taking up the jawbone’s bone tissue to be used in other parts of the body. Resorption is the term for this process, which starts around six months after a tooth is gone. Bone loss will also lead to a total transformation in the contour of your face over time. It is advised that you use dental implants to replace any lost teeth in order to stop this from occurring. Only dental implants can stop bone loss among all tooth replacement restoration techniques. Consult with your dentist to find the right procedure for tooth replacement for you. 

Image illustrating a dental x ray to observe any potential bone loss from missing teeth.

Restore chewing function

We know that in order to properly digest the food you eat, your teeth play a crucial role and a missing tooth can make chewing more difficult. For example, food is ground into smaller, more easily ingested, and edible bits by molars and any back teeth. When the rear teeth are missing, the front teeth have to work harder and provide a purpose for which they were not designed. This might cause the front teeth to erode and deteriorate more quickly. Therefore, getting new teeth can assist in keeping your mouth healthy and your teeth functioning properly. 

Restore your speech

Speaking normally becomes difficult by missing teeth, particularly if any of the front teeth are missing. Sometimes all it takes is one tooth to affect how clearly and accurately you can pronounce words. Pronunciation problems may arise with terms like shoe, gym, zoo, fish, stitch, and chin. Speech will be improved and the issue will be resolved with dental replacements. 

Maintain your facial structure

For the jawbone to remain stable and strong, teeth must be stimulated continuously. The area of bone that no longer receives the stimulus it requires after you lose a tooth will begin to shrink as a result. Additionally, your gums will start to retreat in the empty gap, weakening the teeth next to them. Your face structure will change as a result, and you’ll see early-onset aging and drooping cheeks. Tooth decay and gum disease, as well as alterations to the face structure, can be avoided by having the right procedure done.   

Regain your confidence

One of the first things that other people notice about a person is the state of their teeth since having excellent, straight teeth is seen as a sign of beauty and good health. Therefore, it makes sense that individuals who experience tooth loss are often self-conscious about their appearance. You can seem younger, speak better, have a more confident grin and facial structure, and feel more at ease in social situations by having missing teeth replaced and having your smile back. 

Offers Long Term Solutions

To replace lost teeth, a number of treatments are available, and the lifetime of each replacement method varies. While a partial denture could seem like a more affordable option, it typically lasts little longer than five years. Conversely, the success rate of dental implants is rather high. Due to the implant’s integration with the jawbone, they typically last a lifetime. Additionally, it mimics how a natural tooth works. 15 years after implantation, dental implants will still be functional.

Considering that replacing missing teeth is an investment, you can weigh it against the cost of continuous dental treatment to address the numerous issues that missing teeth cause. In the long run, you will find out that you have saved a lot of money. During the initial consultation, your dentist will explain the possible options for you. Some of the most common procedures can be dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants. Before deciding on the right procedure for you the dentist will examine your oral health carefully because different factors like your dental health, the number of missing teeth, or your financial issues can influence your suitability. 

Image illustrating a patient at a dentist in Albania.

Popular Tooth Replacement Options

After explaining why it is important to replace missing teeth we also want to discuss some of the most popular tooth replacement options. Some of the most common ones are: 

Dental Bridges

The common use of dental bridges is to replace one or more lost teeth. Two or more crowns are affixed to the teeth next to the space created by a lost tooth or teeth to form a bridge. One or more artificial teeth hold the crowns together. A multitude of materials, including porcelain, silver, and gold, may be used to create dental bridges. However, porcelain provides the most natural results. You should also know that the cost will depend on the material. 

But nowadays, porcelain’s main purpose is for its organic look.

Benefits of Dental Bridges

  • Patients who would like to restore their smile but lack teeth should consider getting dental bridges. Your quality of life will increase if you are comfortable with the way your teeth look. 
  • Speaking and being able to chew food properly are two other significant advantages of dental bridges. Chewing some kinds of foods might be difficult or painful for a patient after they have lost a tooth or several of them. Additionally, word pronunciation may be affected. These problems will be resolved via dental bridges.
  • The bone beneath the space left by a missing tooth may begin to degrade. The jawbone is stimulated by tooth roots to create bone cells. Therefore, it’s critical to maintain stimulation of the gum tissue where the tooth is absent.
  • You may maintain the position of your natural teeth by having a dental bridge. Your other natural teeth are far less likely to move and become loose when you use a restorative procedure like a dental bridge to fill gaps along your gum line.

Dentures

It is normal practice to replace every tooth in a set of teeth with dentures. A base of acrylic or plastic the color of gums is used to support one or more prosthetic teeth, called pontics, in dentures. Dental adhesives or suction are used to keep dentures in place. When necessary, they can be taken out and put back in the mouth.

What are the benefits of dentures?

  • In addition to being comfortable, modern dentures are made to mimic the appearance of real teeth. Gaining back confidence in speaking and chewing may require many dental appointments to get the ideal fit. After that, you will no longer have any restrictions on your diet and you will be able to speak properly. 
  • Dentures will make you feel more confident and eliminate any gaps between your teeth. 
  • They will prevent the sagging that occurs when teeth are missing. They will also provide the support that your natural teeth provide, making you look younger and helping you keep your facial appearance. 
  • If you have not lost all your teeth, partial dentures will help keep them healthy because they will prevent excessive wear and tear processes because the chewing forces are evenly distributed to all teeth.
  • They are easily cleaned because they can be removed whenever you want. 
  • The materials used in dentures will provide a natural-looking result.
  • They are not very expensive and if some of your natural teeth are still present the cost will be lower. 
Image illustrating dental implants in Albania - one of the best affordable methods for replacing missing teeth

Dental Implants

Dental implants are frequently used to replace a lost tooth or several teeth. A crown, bridge, or denture can be supported by a dental implant, which is a titanium screw inserted into the jawbone. Dental implants, in contrast to other tooth replacement solutions such as bridges or dentures, are able to stimulate the jawbone in a way that stops bone loss. As a result, dental implants are regarded as the most resilient and long-lasting alternative for replacing missing teeth. They are, nonetheless, the priciest and most complicated tooth replacement alternative.

Benefits of Dental Implants 

  • The fact that an implant restores complete chewing capability is one of its most significant advantages. The majority of patients are unable to sense any difference between their implanted tooth and their natural teeth. They can brush and floss regularly, and they can eat entirely normally while using it.
  • While most dental restoration options last around 20 years, dental implants are a permanent solution. The implant is composed of titanium and it is bio-compatible. This means that the body will not reject it and it will integrate perfectly. When placed into the jawbone, it will function the same as the natural root of the tooth, providing the same durability and stability. 
  • The absence of a tooth causes the jaw bone to degenerate since it is not stimulated. A tooth loss causes a bone region to lose 25% of its volume if no implant is put in within a year, and the bone loss will worsen with time. Because dentures frequently come loose and scrape on the bony ridge, gradually eroding it away, they can further hasten the loss of bone while a dental implant will offer the necessary stimulus for bone formation because it replaces both the tooth and the root, allowing for normal mouth function.
  • Adjacent teeth may crookedly migrate towards the space left by a lost tooth. This causes your teeth to become misaligned, which can have an impact on how you bite, eat, and look. It may result in interference that subsequently complicates tooth replacement. A bad bite can cause discomfort and headaches as well as problems with your temporomandibular joint, or shortly known as TMJ.
  • Gum disease can result from a missing tooth gap that serves as a trap for food particles and germs.
  • Facial drooping can be an unwelcome side effect of bone loss caused by missing teeth. The gap between the tip of the nose and the chin gradually gets less at this point as the bottom portion of the face begins to droop. A more pointed chin, thinner lips, and an abundance of lines around the mouth can all contribute to a person’s appearance of being much older than they actually are.
Image illustrating the results of dental implants in Albania

Which Tooth Replacement Option is Right for You?

You may be wondering which tooth replacement option is best for you now that we have covered some of the more common ones. Speaking with a licensed dentist is the best approach to deciding which tooth replacement option is appropriate for you. Your dentist will evaluate your specific health conditions throughout the consultation and provide recommendations based on those examinations.

In Conclusion

We’ve covered seven key reasons to replace missing teeth in this blog post, along with some of the most effective treatments. We advise you to speak with a licensed dentist if you are missing one or more teeth in order to choose the best tooth replacement option for you. It is crucial to replace lost teeth in order to preserve appropriate function, avoid overgrowth, stop bone loss, maintain an equal bite, and restore your smile, regardless of the tooth replacement choice you make.

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