Losing a tooth can be a traumatic experience, both emotionally and physically. But what many people don’t realize is that missing teeth can cause many other problems, from bite changes to gum disease and TMJ issues. In this blog post, we’ll explore the problems that come with missing teeth and explain why it’s so important to replace them as soon as possible.
How Missing Teeth Affect the Bite and Alignment of the Other Teeth
If a permanent tooth is lost the other teeth begin to shift and move. This can cause a number of problems, including changes to your bite and jaw alignment. For example, if a tooth is removed the tooth behind it can begin to lean forward. The tooth above or below the missing tooth can begin to “super-erupt” or grow out of the gum and bone because, the teeth only stay in place when they have an opposing tooth to bite against. If left untreated, these changes can lead to gum disease, loose teeth, major bite changes, discomfort, pain and even difficulty eating and speaking. Over time, they can also cause your teeth to become misaligned, making it harder to clean them properly and increase your risk of developing other dental problems.
TMJ Problems and Pain
Another problem that can develop as a result of missing teeth is TMJ (temporomandibular joint) pain. This joint and the ligaments associated with it connect your jawbone to your skull and are responsible for allowing you to open and close your mouth. When you have missing teeth, your bite is thrown off balance. Imagine if your car’s wheels are out of alignment and the tires are in need of rotation and balancing. That causes undue wear to your tires and your car does not handle as well as it should. This is similar to when teeth are missing and the bite is out of alignment which can put extra stress on the TMJ and cause it to become painful and inflamed. This can lead to headaches, neck pain, sore jaws and many other symptoms making it difficult to live a normal, healthy life. Many patients with TMJ have difficulty opening wide, chewing certain foods and have jaw pain that they can’t seem to get rid of.
Loss of Bone Due to a Missing Tooth
Your teeth are held in your mouth with the help of the jawbone. When you loose a tooth you will also loose that jawbone that supported the tooth. Think about if you had an old oak tree in your backyard and it was blown over, roots and all, and it had to be removed. There would be a large hole in the ground, and eventually over time, the land would be lower or “sunken” where that tree used to be. The same is true when you have a tooth removed, the gum and bone in that area will shrink. Initially there will be quit a bit of shrinkage after the tooth is removed and each year additional bone will be lost. This loss of bone can prohibit the use of future implants if the tooth has been missing for a long time. It can also make replacing that tooth with other dental procedures, like a dental bridge, a removable partial denture or full denture more difficult.
Solutions for Replacing Missing Teeth
Fortunately, there are several options available for replacing missing teeth, including dental implants, dental bridges, removable partial dentures and bone grafting.
Implants: Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are placed into your jawbone to support a crown, bridge, or denture. Implants are a popular choice for people who want a long term natural-looking solution to missing teeth. They are typically more of an investment than other options, but they offer a number of positive benefits including possible lifetime longevity, improved oral health and greater stability compared to bridges and removable partials. Another benefit to dental implants is they will never get decay or get a cavity.
Dental Bridges: A dental bridge is a long term dental restoration that is designed to “bridge” the gap left by missing teeth. A bridge is typically made up of two crowns (one for each of the surrounding teeth) and a false tooth (or pontic) that is suspended between them which replaces the missing tooth. Dental bridges are fixed in your mouth and do not come in and out of your mouth. Bridges are a good option for people who want a long-lasting solution to missing teeth as well as something that looks and feels natural. Dental bridges typically only take two appointments to complete.
Removable Partials: Removable partials are designed to replace multiple missing teeth but they are not permanently attached to your existing teeth. Instead, the teeth are fixed onto a gum colored material and there are clasps that “grab onto” your remaining teeth to mechanically hold the partial in your mouth. Removable partials are a good option for people who have a limited budget and don’t mind having a dental appliance in their mouth that they take in and out daily. Removable partial dentures take a little while to get used to and require some extra effort on your part and daily maintenance that isn’t associated with dental implants or dental bridges.
Bone Grafting
If you have a tooth extracted a bone graft placed in the socket after the extraction can help minimize the bone loss. If you removed that old oak tree in your backyard you would place dirt in the hole so the ground would not have a large sunken area in it. This is similar to what a bone graft can do for your jawbone. The bone graft not only expedites the healing after an extraction it also preserves the jawbone so it is not subject to a major amount of shrinkage over time.
Don’t Wait To Replace Your Missing Teeth
No matter which option you choose, it’s important not to wait to replace your missing teeth. The longer you wait, the more time your other teeth have to shift and change, making it harder to achieve a stable and healthy result. Additionally, waiting can increase your risk of developing other dental problems, like gum disease, decay, loose teeth, misaligned teeth and TMJ issues. It is always best to act quickly and get your missing teeth replaced as soon as possible before pain or problems develop.
Dr. Corbyn Rhodes of Advances in Dentistry has been treating patients with missing teeth in Oklahoma City, OK, for over 30 years. He has extensive experience and knowledge in dental implants, dental bridges and partial dentures. Dr. Rhodes was voted best dentist in OKC 6 years in a row as well as Favorite Cosmetic Dentist by the 405 magazine. If you are looking for a dentist near you give our OKC dentist office a call today at 405-751-6996!