30 Aug

How Does Tooth Loss Affect Your Health?

Are you missing any of your adult teeth? Whether you lost a tooth as the result of an injury, a disease, or other complications, there are many consequences of tooth loss that can affect your health. At Lifetime Family Dental, we offer several treatment options for missing teeth that will restore your smile, health, and confidence. Read on to learn more about how tooth loss can affect your oral health and how we can help. 

How Does Tooth Loss Affect Health?

Tooth loss is more than just an aesthetic problem—there are many potential dangers if you are missing teeth. Putting off treatment leaves your health at risk and can even alter the natural shape of your jaw and smile. Long-term effects of missing teeth include everything from altered eating habits to bone loss.

Long-Term Effects of Missing Teeth

Tooth Decay

Because tooth loss makes it more difficult to brush and floss your teeth, missing teeth can contribute to tooth decay. The spaces left by tooth loss also expose your existing teeth to harmful bacteria and discoloration. It’s important to replace missing teeth so that you can properly protect your mouth with daily oral hygiene. 

Shifting Teeth

When you lose just one tooth, the other teeth nearby will likely start to shift their placement. You may experience a change in the way you bite down, which can cause pain, headaches, and difficulty chewing. Having a poor bite also leads to malocclusion, meaning you will have crooked teeth that can cause even more problems.

Diet Restrictions

Trying to chew with multiple missing teeth can be extremely difficult and affect your diet.  If you’re unable to chew fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains due to missing teeth, it’s harder to stay healthy. Proper nutrition is necessary for your health—if you have not yet replaced your missing teeth, make sure to drink smoothies full of fruits, veggies, and protein.

Bone Loss

Permanent bone loss is a major health risk of missing teeth. Losing an adult tooth weakens the bone in your jaw, which can affect jaw mobility and cause significant pain. Permanent bone loss also occurs as a result of periodontitis infections, which can spread to the rest of your teeth. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of gum disease, you can prevent bone loss by contacting your dentist immediately for treatment.  

Treatment and Restorative Options for Tooth Loss

Dental Implants

Whether you have one or multiple missing teeth, dental implants are a natural-looking, long-lasting solution. Dental implants replace your missing teeth down to the root so that you can bite and chew like you would with normal teeth. The procedure for dental implants requires two surgical visits—one for fusing metal posts into your jaw, then another for attaching a crown to the posts once your jaw has healed. 

Implant-Supported Bridge

The best solution for multiple missing teeth that are next to each other is an implant-supported bridge. Dental implants replace the missing teeth that would touch the surrounding existing teeth, while a dental bridge is placed between the implants. The bridge is secured to the stable implants, which hold it in place for a natural-looking smile. 

Dental Bridge

A regular dental bridge is a solution for just one missing tooth. The bridge is secured to your existing teeth rather than to an implant. Unlike dental implants or implant-supported bridges, regular dental bridges do not require invasive oral surgery.

Dentures

If you have multiple missing teeth, dentures can replace all of your bottom or top teeth. There are several options for dentures, including partial or full and permanent or fixed dentures. Implant-supported dentures are another durable, long-lasting, and natural-looking solution for missing teeth.

Dental Restorations in Gilbert

Are you ready to replace your missing teeth? Lifetime Family Dental in Gilbert, AZ offers a variety of restoration treatments for tooth loss. We’ll give you a smile you can be proud of! Call 480-558-4331 today to schedule an appointment and discuss your options. 

Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (8/30/2021). Photo by cottonbro from Pexels