For children, the loss of baby tooth is a gloried rite of passage. For adults, loss of a tooth can be incredibly embarrassing irrespective of the cause. As a matter of fact, it can be a severe dental health problem. Loss of tooth is often caused by either trauma or tooth decay. Although it can be corrected with appropriate restorative options such as dental implants, some people usually opt to live with their “loss.”

The reality is, failure to undergo appropriate dental treatment such as replacing the lost tooth could adversely affect your oral health and functionality of your smile. By neglecting to replace your tooth, you could be piling up more costly problems that may potentially interfere with your everyday life.

Here are five dental effects of missing a tooth

1. Bone loss

The gap from a missing tooth or teeth leads to jaw bone loss. Just like how regular exercise helps you stimulate and support muscle health, teeth play an essential role in supporting the bone of the jaw. If you miss a tooth, the bone that used to support that tooth is no longer stimulated, just like the way unused muscle become atrophied. Dental implants fuse with the bone to provide maximum support and strength.

2. Shifting Teeth

Healthy teeth are supposed to be firmly attached to the jawbone, but this can change for some reasons such as tooth decay and gum recession. This problem can be substantially accelerated with missing teeth. The gap makes it easy for the adjacent teeth to shift. The shifting creates more space for the other teeth to move, and gradually, in a domino effect, the rest of the teeth start shifting

3. Bite Irregularities

As seen above, the gap from the missing tooth can lead to shifting of teeth, which in turn affect how the chewing surfaces of your teeth come together. The way your chewing comes together determines occlusion. An improper bite can result in problems like muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity, tooth loss, etc.

4. Facial Aesthetic

Your teeth play a very crucial role in supporting and structure and shape of your face, which have a huge impact on your facial aesthetic. Missing of teeth can cause your face to appear sunken and aged.

5. Speech Issues

Missing teeth leaves a gap that makes it very difficult for you to pronounce certain words. Believe it or not, with one missing front teeth, you may experience whistling, spitting, or even slurring when speaking

Replacing your missing teeth is an ultimate solution to restoring your bright smile and avoiding other more costly oral problems.