What If I Have Missing Teeth?
Replacing missing teeth is not all about how you look; they can cause serious health problems. Your teeth are an important part of your life. They give you your beautiful smile and help you to eat. They also give you self-confidence.
Having gaps in your teeth can make you self-conscious and trigger other dental problems over time. Living with missing teeth can degrade your overall health. So, do not put off replacing those teeth your dentist removed. Here are some things you should know when looking for teeth replacement around Melbourne and in surrounding areas.
Short Term Consequences
While you may think replacing missing teeth does not matter, the short-term consequences can include:
- Problems talking
- Feelings of embarrassment when talking or smiling
- Difficulty chewing food
- Extra stress and wear on the other teeth that can weaken them
- Teeth moving to fill the gap left by the missing tooth
Long Term Consequences
Sinus expansion
When you lose teeth from your upper back jaw, the sinus cavity above the teeth, there is only a thin wall of bone separating the sinus cavity from your mouth. Your teeth protect this cavity. When the bone erodes, it is difficult to replace lost teeth. You may need a bone graft to have new teeth implanted later in life.
Bone loss
Bone loss is the most significant problem associated with not replacing lost teeth. It is also known as bone resorption. It occurs when a tooth is removed, and its roots are no longer embedded in the jaw bone.
Once there is a gap, and if it is not filled with a replacement tooth, the jaw bone will deteriorate. This can weaken your jaw and cause further tooth loss.
This is not something you want to happen. It does not just affect the area of the lost tooth but nearby teeth as well. Over time it will also affect the shape of your face. Your lips may become thinner, and your cheeks appear sunken.
Not replacing lost teeth will cause greater complications and increased costs to fix the problems in your mouth.
Gum disease
With your teeth out of alignment and crooked, it’s harder to clean and floss them. This means you will never get them clean with food stuck in places you cannot reach. Plaque will form on the teeth from bacteria and harden into tartar.
When this happens, it becomes gingivitis, which is a mild form of gum disease. If you leave this untreated, it can turn into periodontitis, which can become a serious health issue. Gum disease will cause more tooth loss. It is linked to other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.
What Are The Options For Tooth Replacement?
Living with missing teeth will make your life that much more difficult in many ways, let alone negatively affect your overall health. But, it does not have to be this way. There are many options available to replace lost teeth. These include dental implants, dental bridges, and dentures.
Dental implants
Dental implants are like a screw that is an artificial replacement implanted into your jaw bone. It acts as a substitute for the roots of your tooth. They are a stable base for dentures, crowns, and bridges or can replace a single tooth. They are usually made of materials such as titanium. When you have an implant, you do not have to use adhesive to keep false teeth in place.
Dental implants are the perfect option for replacing lost teeth. They help to restore your smile and self-confidence, and they will not affect your health in a negative way. They also reduce the amount of bone loss from your jaw. The titanium post will eventually fuse with the bone making them seem natural.
Dental bridges
Dental bridges are a prosthetic device used to fill the gaps left by one or more missing teeth. Your dentist will mount these on existing teeth or on implants to return your natural smile to you.
There are three types of bridges:
- Cantilever bridges
- Resin-bonded bridges
- Traditional bridges.
Dentures
You can get full or partial dentures to replace lost teeth. They attach to your remaining teeth and have wire clasps to anchor the dentures into your mouth, so they do not move. Your dentist will make them look natural, so no one will know you are wearing dentures.
Contact Us Today
Now you know the problems of living with missing teeth, make an appointment with ProSmiles. Find out what options you have to restore your smile and confidence by contact us on (03) 8613 3416 or info@prosmiles.com.au.