What is the Impact of a Missing Tooth?

If you lose a tooth, you might live in fear wondering how it will affect your oral health and smile. Luckily, there are a variety of options available to replace the missing tooth and allow you to smile confidently again. Not only will replacing the missing tooth improve your esthetics, but it will improve your quality of life and overall health. If you don’t replace a missing tooth, you may eventually experience some potentially serious physical consequences. To avoid these consequences, visit your trusted dentist in Los Angeles to see what available treatment optionsare in your best interest.

Complications from Missing Teeth

Depending on the location of the missing tooth, there may be very little consequences or potential health risks. Even though a missing tooth might not affect the esthetics of your smile(depending on its location), it can cause health problems including:

• Impact Speech and Eating. Because teeth are designed to work together, a missing tooth can impact eating and speaking. If you notice that chewing your food is becoming cumbersome, it may cause you to only use one side of your jaw to chew. This can lead to future complications in the jaw and facial muscles. Additionally, not chewing your food properly can lead to digestive issues like acid reflux and malnutrition from nutrients not being absorbed properly in the digestive tract.
• Shifting in the Mouth. Teeth are not attached to bone by cement. Tiny ligaments anchor your teeth to the jawbone. When you lose a tooth, shifting in the mouth often occurs. Teeth that surround the empty space tend to drift towards the opening and move out of their proper positions. This leads to a condition called malocclusion, meaning teeth are not aligned properly. Misaligned teeth cause issues such as tooth sensitivity, tooth grinding, and difficulty chewing.
• Bone Loss Leading to Disfiguration. Missing teeth can change the shape of your face. Often times,missing teeth can lead to bone loss along the jawline. This loss of bone can cause a sagging appearance around the mouth. Since the bone tissue no longer receives support from the tooth, it can weaken over time; hence, why sagging faces are common amongst individuals who wear dentures.

For those patients who are missing permanent teeth, the most proactive solution is to schedule an appointment with Dr. Moradzadeh of Crystal Dental Center. There are a variety of available treatment options including dental implants, dentures, and fixed bridges that can remedy this problem.  The team at Crystal Dental Center will help review your options and determine the best course of action. For further information or to schedule an appointment please contact Crystal Dental Center at 213.748.8448 or visit www.CrystalDentalCenters.com to learn more.