Why You Shouldn’t Ignore a Missing Tooth 

At least 120 million Americans have lost one or more of their adult teeth — and tooth loss is growing more common, according to recent statistics from the American College of Prosthodontists. 

Here at Whole Body Dental, in Bellevue, Washington, we’re spearheading efforts to help turn those numbers around. Our team of experienced dentists offers holistic dentistry from a bodywide perspective. This approach is especially beneficial for missing teeth because it can help prevent greater oral and bodywide health problems. 

This blog explains the serious consequences of ignoring a missing tooth. A missing tooth isn’t just a cosmetic issue. It can lead to serious problems like:

Shifting teeth

When a tooth is missing, nearby teeth no longer have the support they need to stay in place. Those neighboring teeth often start shifting closer and closer to the gap. This can cause a chain reaction in which all your teeth shift slightly, causing misalignment and bite problems. 

Those issues can cause cosmetic changes, like new gaps and crookedness, as well as difficulty eating and chewing. Tooth shifting may also lead to difficulty enunciating your words.

Bone loss

Without tooth roots, there’s nothing to stimulate constant bone renewal within your jaw. This leads to gradual bone loss and can cause serious problems like the loosening and loss of the teeth you have left. 

The bone loss can worsen and affect the entire jaw, causing a caved-in or shrunken appearance in the middle and lower face. 

Increased risk of decay

Gaps between your teeth can create small spots that are challenging to clean with routine brushing and flossing. This can significantly increase the risk of both tooth decay and gum disease in normally healthy teeth.

Unless treated, tooth decay and gum disease could trigger infections that travel through the body. Conditions like heart disease and diabetes have a bidirectional relationship with oral health problems.

Tooth restoration options

The two main restorative dentistry options for restoring a single tooth are:

Dental implants

Dental implants include a metal base, anchored in your jaw. We attach a custom-made crown to the base for durable, natural-looking tooth replacement that protects against bone loss.

Dental bridges

A dental bridge is usually a “block” of three restorations. The middle one is a replacement tooth, with one crown on each side. The crowns fit over healthy natural teeth and keep the replacement tooth stable. 

We’re here to talk you through the options and explain the advantages of each. 

There’s no reason to risk your health and wellness over a missing tooth. Phone the Whole Body Dental office at 425-643-1231 or connect with us online today.