Losing baby teeth signifies a rite of passage for children; they are even excited to lose teeth because the tooth fairy will reward them by leaving some coins underneath their pillow. However, losing teeth doesn’t hold the same charm in adulthood. In fact, tooth loss among adults can be a severe dental concern.
The culprits for tooth loss are often tooth decay or trauma. Although tooth loss can be corrected with restorative options like dental implants, a large number of people do not avail of the treatment and simply live with missing teeth. Unfortunately, these people are putting the health of their smile at risk. If you have no plans of replacing missing teeth, this could leave you susceptible to developing additional, more costly problems that may interfere with your daily life in the long run.
To help you understand more about how risky tooth loss can be, we at Steele Dental Specialties have compiled some of its negative consequences. Read on to know what these are.
Losing teeth can result in bone loss
Failing to replace a missing tooth (or teeth) is the leading cause of jaw bone loss. Your teeth stimulate and support your jaw bone; this works the same way as exercising to help stimulate and support the health of your muscles. If you have missing teeth, the bone that was used to support them are no longer stimulated and will begin to dissolve. That is why availing of dental implants that include screws that fuse with the bone will provide you maximum strength and support.
Losing teeth cause your remaining teeth to shift
Your teeth are firmly attached to the jaw bone; however, they can shift and move for some reason over time. It could be due to gum recession, tooth decay, and more. When you lose some teeth, the issue of shifting teeth will be accelerated significantly. The gaps caused by missing teeth create vast spaces for your teeth to shift into. This results in your other teeth to follow shifting as well. A domino effect occurs, which impacts your whole bite.
Losing teeth causes chewing difficulties
When you eat, you rely on your teeth to tear and gnash food. You may experience difficulty in eating some of your favorite food; this depends on the location of your missing tooth. Having missing front teeth can be problematic since they are used to break off bits of the food you eat. The back teeth are used to grind up meats and other food. Missing molars affect how you chew everything. When you fail to chew adequately, this impacts digestion and causes problems like acid reflux. These issues can be avoided by replacing missing teeth.
Avoid the negative consequences of missing teeth by availing of Dental Implants in Coppell, TX. Here at Steele Dental Specialties, we are ready to provide high-quality dental implants to restore your smile. Find us at 225 E. State Hwy. 121, #150 Coppell, TX 75019. Call us to schedule an appointment!