Have you lost a tooth due to trauma or tooth decay? If you answered yes to these questions, then this article is for you.
Losing a tooth is a negative experience that no one wants to face. Unfortunately, it can happen suddenly and unexpectedly, usually due to various reasons such as trauma, deep tooth decay or even old age. If you have lost one or more teeth, you may be tempted to ignore the problem rather than seek dental treatment. But you should never neglect this problem. Because missing teeth can pose many hidden dangers, including the following, it would be unwise to neglect them.
Increased risk of tooth decay
A missing tooth creates an unnatural gap in your tooth structure. This cavity provides the perfect place for small food particles and bacteria to hide. The resulting effect is often tooth decay in neighbouring teeth. If tooth decay is left untreated, it can get worse and require the extraction of a tooth, which eventually results in another missing tooth. Then the vicious circle starts again.
Serious misalignment
Have you ever seen what happens when you remove a card from a carefully constructed house of cards? The whole structure collapses. It is the same with your teeth. When you lose a tooth, the rest will gradually start to shift and try to close the gap created. This can cause severe misalignments that may require you to wear braces to solve the problem.
Impaired speech
Your teeth play a fundamental role in vocal articulation. This can mean that when one or more teeth are missing, it can lead to words being consistently mispronounced. It can seriously hinder your daily communication with family, friends and even work colleagues. How do you overcome this? The solution is simple. Porcelain bridges or implant-supported porcelain will instantly improve your pronunciation.
An unaesthetic appearance
Missing teeth are one of the most noticeable problems in dentistry. Whenever you smile, everyone can notice your missing tooth. To maintain an attractive appearance, you should make an appointment with your dentist immediately and start treatment.
Sudden bone loss
This is a serious problem that especially affects people who lose their teeth with age. When you are missing one or more teeth, the remaining bone structure gradually loses its shape and density. This can create a gap that forces your cheeks and cheek muscles to pull inwards, resulting in sunken cheeks.
Therefore, if you lose teeth in any way, you should replace your missing tooth with a new one within 6 months at the latest.