Why a Missing Tooth Isn't Just a Cosmetic Issue

If you have a missing tooth, your first thought might be about how it will detract from your smile. Many of our patients at Pioneer Dental Group feel the same way, so when Dr. Behzad Binafard and our caring team explain that a missing tooth is far more than a smile flaw, many are surprised at just how serious a problem it can really be. 

In this blog, we explain exactly how a missing tooth changes your mouth and leads to oral health issues in the long term. Fortunately, there are several ways to replace missing teeth and avoid those issues. 

Beyond the cosmetic: Problems that a missing tooth can cause

A missing tooth causes issues on multiple levels, including:

Alignment problems 

Your teeth all fit closely together, which helps maintain good tooth alignment and a proper bite. 

But, when there’s an open space in your mouth, the teeth on either side of it can start shifting over. Then, the teeth next to those can start moving, like a chain reaction. This can change tooth alignment dramatically and cause discomfort, difficulty chewing, and other issues. 

Jawbone loss

When you chew and bite, your tooth roots stimulate bone cell renewal in your jaw. This is what helps you maintain a strong, healthy jaw. 

But, when your tooth roots aren’t there anymore, you can lose up to half of the jawbone beneath that tooth within just six months. That bone loss can affect your jawbone shape and may cause other teeth to loosen nearby. Jawbone loss can also make your face look sunken and older than your years.

Increased risk of gum disease

A gap in your smile often creates a “food trap” — a spot where bits of food constantly get caught. This means that there’s often food on your gums for extended periods of time, and damaging bacteria can multiply there. This can greatly increase your risk of gum disease. 

Increased cavity risk

When a tooth is missing, it leaves far more of the teeth on either side exposed. When those teeth aren’t partly shielded by that missing tooth anymore, they’re far more prone to bacteria buildup, and then plaque, tartar, and cavities. 

What you can do to avoid missing tooth problems

There are several ways to replace a missing tooth, including crowns and bridges and dental implants. Dr. Binafard and our team usually recommend dental implants for a missing tooth. 

A dental implant uses titanium or another biocompatible metal as a replacement tooth root, and this stimulates your jaw to maintain its density and shape. A custom-made crown, created here in our on-site dental lab, screws onto the dental implant. It completes your smile cosmetically, but even more importantly it helps prevent the complications we’ve discussed above. 

If you lost a tooth, we’re here to customize a new tooth to restore your smile and protect you from serious oral health issues later. Call our Norwalk, California office or contact us online now.