Should I Replace My Missing Teeth?‍

Losing a permanent tooth is a more common issue than you’d think. In fact, statistics show that around 2.2% of adults 20 to 64 years have no remaining teeth at all.

Tooth loss can be caused by many things, from decay to gum disease, or even injuries. However, no matter why you’ve lost a tooth, it’s very important to replace it in order to restore your oral health.

And the good news is that you have a lot of options to replace your missing teeth! But first, let's see how missing teeth can affect your overall oral health.

The Effects of a Missing Tooth

Missing one of your permanent teeth won’t just affect your confidence when you smile. In fact, a missing tooth can, over time, cause a lot of permanent damage to your mouth.

For one thing, when a tooth is missing, the surrounding teeth will try to compensate for that extra space. This means your other teeth may shift, leading to even more visible issues with your smile, as well as your bite. Misaligned teeth are also more likely to suffer from decay or gum disease because they are notoriously harder to clean properly.

Moreover, a missing tooth can affect your jaw bone. When you chew, the pressure applied on the tooth’s root helps stimulate the area and bring more blood to your jaw. But when a tooth is missing, this particular area of the jaw can be deprived of essential nutrients. Over time, time can lead to lower jaw bone mass.

Taking all of this into account, it’s no surprise that most experts recommend replacing a missing tooth as soon as possible in order to protect your oral health.

How Can You Replace Missing Teeth?

Modern dentistry offers many ways to restore a person’s smile, no matter the scale of the damage.

The most popular procedure to replace missing teeth is the dental implant because:

• It’s a permanent replacement
• It’s not removable
• It looks and feels just like a natural tooth

Dental implants are a great way to restore your smile after tooth loss, even in more severe cases. For instance, implant-supported dentures can replace the full arch of your mouth without needing several individual implants; the dentures are fixed onto just 4 implants placed throughout the jaw.

Other methods to replace missing teeth can include:

• Dental crowns (if the tooth root is still intact)
• Removable dentures
• Tooth-supported bridges

Restore Your Smile with Be More Dental

Are you dealing with missing teeth? Then Dr. Amanda Hurley can present your options and help you unlock the most appropriate treatment plan to restore the look and function of your smile. 

To get started, please book an appointment at Be More Dental online.

Have more questions about us or our services? Then feel free to call us at (410) 276-4455 for a short chat.