Why You Should Never Ignore a Missing Tooth
If you’re missing a tooth, you should know this: There are many more good reasons to fill that void in addition to how it makes you look, or how self-conscious it makes you feel. There are actually medical concerns that tooth replacement options can address.
Dr. Vaibhav Bajaj and the entire team at Charlotte Dental Esthetics believe that an informed patient is the best patient. Knowledge allows you to make the best choices about your dental care and health.
Most people don’t actually keep all of their teeth as they get older. Whether you’ve lost a tooth (or more) from periodontal disease, an injury, or simply a sizable cavity, it’s time to investigate the options for filling that void.
Isn’t the only disadvantage of a missing tooth that it looks bad?
Not at all. There are more compelling reasons to be concerned about your missing tooth. A gap in your smile where a tooth used to be means that your entire facial and jaw structure could be at risk.
In addition to making you feel self-conscious about your smile, even one missing tooth can lead to:
Bone loss
Problems chewing and eating
Improper tooth shifting
Bite problems
Facial sinking/collapse
Each of these potential results is part of a negative spiral that can wreak havoc on your oral health.
With bone loss comes further risk for bone loss in the teeth that surround where your missing tooth used to sit. Using your muscles when you eat and drink helps maintain bone strength, but if eating is compromised by a missing tooth, both muscle and bone are in peril.
Finally, there’s no question that one or more missing teeth can make you look much older.
The cosmetic appearance of having a sunken face due to tooth loss can be devastating. It can give you a “pursed mouth” look, a la an applehead doll.
Additionally, the teeth that are on either side of the spot where a tooth was lost are at increased risk of decay, while the exposed gum has a greater chance of becoming diseased.
How can you fill the void created by a missing tooth?
Now that you understand the more serious physiological and overall health consequences of a missing tooth, understand this: There are two excellent dental solutions available to you here at Charlotte Dental Esthetics. Dr. Bajaj offers:
Since it’s essentially a prosthetic tooth, a bridge works by literally “bridging the gap” that the tooth loss created. It stays in place and connected to adjoining teeth with a very strong dental cement. Dr. Bajaj ensures a custom fit by taking an impression of your mouth.
Dental implants work a bit differently. Made from a metal post, an implant is screwed into your jawbone surgically and eventually topped with a crown, or the replacement tooth.
The attachment of the implant to your jawbone is a surgical procedure, so you heal from that before receiving your crown. The implant actually fuses to your jawbone, making it a permanent and solid solution.
Support your oral and overall health by replacing your missing tooth
Now that you know the risks of having a missing tooth, it’s time to do something about it. You’ve got options, and Dr. Bajaj and our entire team will help you choose the solution that’s best for you.
Please give us a call, send us a message here on our website, or request an appointment online. We’ll get you on your way to making your smile — and your health — complete again.