What is the Problem with Missing Teeth?
After the average American adult reaches 50 years old and has had their four wisdom teeth removed, they will most likely have lost eight additional permanent teeth. The average American adult between 35 and 44 years old will have lost at least one permanent tooth. Having a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth is a common issue but it can lead to more serious issues if it is not addressed in a timely manner.
Other than the cosmetic reasons to replace a missing tooth, there are five major problems that happen with missing teeth that are not replaced.
1. Bone Loss
As your bones need to remain strong to support your body, your teeth need your jaw bone to remain in place securely. When you bite down and chew food, your teeth stimulate your jaw bone just like exercise stimulates the other bones in your body. The stimulation helps keep your bones strong and engaged. When you have a missing tooth, the jaw bone in that place is no longer stimulated like the bone once was. The bone tissue will start to weaken and eventually deteriorate. The surrounding teeth can be left more vulnerable to decay and loosening.
2. Changes to Your Bite
As mentioned above, when the bone that helps keep your teeth in place weakens, the surrounding teeth are likely be less secure in their places. If you delay replacing your missing tooth, the other teeth will have more room on our jaw than they did when all your teeth were present. With the additional space to move, the teeth will shift from their original position and will meet your other teeth on the opposite jaw when you bite down in a different place. If your teeth do not meet properly, you may find that you end up grinding your teeth or you develop Temporomandibular Joint disorder. Your teeth will experience enamel loss, sensitivity to hot and cold, as well as the potential for tension headaches from the uneven pressure.
3. Shifting and Crooked Teeth
Before you notice changes to your bite after tooth loss, you may notice your teeth on either side if the missing tooth starting to move. When all your teeth are on your jaw bone, they help keep each other in place. Once there is a new opening where there wasn’t one, the remaining teeth on that jaw will start to shift and occupy the newly available space. Those once straight teeth may have the chance to start slanting or overlap another tooth. The result is crooked teeth and gap from the missing tooth.
4. Increased Instances of Additional Tooth Loss
According to recent studies, you are 30% more likely to lose another tooth if you do not replace your missing tooth. What was once a single issue can get more complicated quickly if you don’t address it.
5. Additional Health Problems
When you have a missing tooth that you delay replacing, you also increase your chance of having to address gum disease. As gum disease progresses from the initial, reversible stage and progresses to periodontitis, the damage to your body is not limited to your mouth. You also have an increased risk of other diseases like diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.