Losing a tooth is inconvenient, no matter how it happens. Maybe it was knocked out during a basketball game or had to be removed due to severe decay. Whatever the cause, losing a tooth can affect your smile, how you eat, talk, and even feel about yourself.
Thankfully, modern dentistry has come a long way, and dental implants are a fantastic solution for missing teeth. Implants don’t just look and feel like your natural teeth; they also function the same way, letting you munch on chips or an apple without a second thought and smile wide in photos.
Implants aren’t just aesthetic and functional. When you lose a tooth, the bone around it deteriorates, and your other teeth can shift out of place. An implant is designed to fuse with your jawbone to prevent these issues.
At LivWell Dentistry in San Francisco and San Ramon, California, Dr. Wenli Loo and Dr. Steve Deng know how life-changing dental implants can be and are experts at helping patients regain their smiles.
Here, they explain what happens if you don’t replace that missing tooth.
A missing tooth can make you feel self-conscious about your smile, but the effects go way beyond that. Your teeth support one another to help you chew, speak, and maintain the natural shape of your face. When even just one tooth is missing, that starts to fall apart.
Eating certain foods—like apples, nuts, or steak—might become uncomfortable or even impossible. Depending on the location of the gap, it can affect how you pronounce certain words, and the teeth around the space tend to drift into the gap, leading to misalignment.
One of the most serious effects of not replacing a missing tooth is bone loss in your jaw. Your jawbone needs stimulation to stay strong, and your teeth provide that stimulation when you chew. Without a tooth, that part of the jaw doesn’t get used, and the bone in that area begins to shrink.
Over time, this bone loss can cause:
Unlike other options to replace missing teeth, implants replace the tooth root, providing the stimulation your jawbone needs to stay healthy. They’re the only solution that actively prevents bone loss.
When a tooth is missing, the teeth on either side of the gap will gradually tilt and shift into the space, creating several issues. Shifting teeth can lead to bite problems, making it difficult to chew comfortably or evenly.
Misaligned teeth can experience uneven pressure, leading to chips, cracks, or excessive wear. They are also harder to clean, creating pockets where plaque and bacteria can build up, potentially leading to gum disease or tooth decay.
Ignoring a missing tooth can lead to many problems, from bone loss and shifting teeth to difficulty eating and speaking. Dental implants are the most effective way to prevent these issues. Schedule an appointment with the Livwell Dentistry team online, or call us at 415-477-3700 today to experience the life-changing benefits of dental implants.
