Why Missing Teeth are a Problem

There are many ways that we can lose a tooth: an accident, a dental disease, or an extraction due to lack of proper dental care. If you are missing a tooth, there are several good reasons to have it fixed. A missing tooth can affect your self-confidence and the way that you talk. In addition, if the tooth has been missing for an extended period, it can cause the teeth on either side to start moving out of their proper location. If your teeth start getting out of proper alignment, it can change your bite, which can lead to gum disease and headaches. Missing teeth can also lead to bone loss and weaken your jawbone. Tooth loss can also affect digestion due to improper chewing of your food. Missing teeth may also affect your nutritional intake due to not being able to bite into and chew some types of food. If you do not get the missing tooth or teeth replaced, you may lose enough bone density in your jaw that you will have to get a bone graft to replace the missing bone. Other problems can occur if missing teeth are not replaced in a timely manner. Unlike in the past where the options for getting teeth replaced there are now many options available to have your teeth replaced. Most dentists believe that dental implants are the best way to replace missing teeth, but not everyone can have an implant. If your bone density is too low or if you are a heavy smoker, you may not qualify for a dental implant. There are options if you do not qualify for dental implants. You can set an appointment with a dentist that will give you a free consultation and let you know what options are open to you. No matter what course you take it is best to get missing teeth replaced. The problems that are associated with missing teeth far outweigh the inconvenience of a few dentist visits to have the problem repaired. To learn more about implant dentistry as well as other dental treatments such as teeth whitening and porcelain veneers, we encourage you to visit our New York cosmetic dentistry office.