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What Could Tooth Loss Lead To if You Ignore It?

Writer's picture: Creekside Family DentistCreekside Family Dentist

Tooth loss is a big deal, both for your oral health and your overall quality of life. Therefore, it’s natural to need some time to get used to it as your smile’s new reality before deciding what to do next. Fortunately, you have options for rebuilding your smile and oral health by replacing the lost tooth, often with highly lifelike results. Yet, many people who experience tooth loss may not realize just how important it is to replace their missing teeth as soon as possible, and why hesitating could lead to the need for further oral health treatment.

Changes in how your remaining teeth are aligned

All of the healthy, natural teeth on your upper and lower dental ridges rely on each other for support when you bite and chew with them. The pressure that your jaw muscles and joints can exert is tremendous, and has to be to properly process all of your food before digestion. To absorb this pressure without sustaining any damage, your teeth should be aligned properly and supportive of those closest to it. Losing even a single tooth throws your bite’s balance off of its natural symmetry, and as a result, the remaining teeth nearest to the lost one may shift to make up for it.

Domino effects that lead to further tooth loss

If a tooth shifts out of its natural alignment, its risks of developing serious concerns (like extensive damage or infection) will be higher. However, this isn’t the only way in which tooth loss can lead to higher risks of further tooth loss. When you lose a tooth, the root that supported it is also uprooted from your jawbone structure. This affects your oral health and dental ridge in multiple ways, including causing the bone structure to lose stimulation and, therefore, mass and density over time. As the bone structure of your dental ridges grows weaker, it becomes more likely that you’ll lose more teeth due to the diminished level of support.

Visible impacts beyond your smile

The visible impact of tooth loss is usually centered on your smile, specifically, and how it looks with one or more gaps among your teeth. However, over time, the compounding effects of tooth loss can also have greater impacts on the appearance of your jawbone and surrounding facial structures. Jawbone erosion following the loss of your tooth’s root won’t stop unless the root and the stimulation it provided are replaced.

Address the impacts of tooth loss

Tooth loss can impact more than just your smile if it isn’t addressed promptly, and with the right custom-designed restoration. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Creekside Family Dental Care in Columbia, TN, today at (931) 388–3384.

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