The Damaging Effects of a Missing Tooth

How Dental Implants Can Help

Missing teeth are not just an aesthetic problem.

When you have a missing tooth, it will probably alter your appearance, but did you know that it could have a plethora of other effects that have nothing to do with how you look? That’s why, even if your missing tooth is in the back of your mouth and it isn’t visible, you still need to consider getting it replaced with dental implants. [Visit Our Lawrence, Kansas Dental Office]

The following are a few of the effects that a missing tooth could have on your oral health and also overall health:

#1. Decreased Chewing Ability and Efficiency

The primary job of your teeth is to chew and tear your food, so it should come to no surprise that losing a tooth can negatively impact your ability to chew and dramatically decrease your chewing efficiency. Up to 10 percent of chewing ability is lost with every missing tooth. This could lead to swallowing food that hasn’t been properly chewed, which could lead to digestive issues and less nutrients being absorbed into your body.

#2. Extrusion of the Top Tooth

If you lose one of your teeth, the opposing tooth may start to grow into the space of the missing tooth in order to fill in the gap. This is known as extrusion or supraeruption, and it can cause the teeth to move out of place or tilt in order to fill in the space. This process can change your bite significantly and affect the way your teeth fit together as well as the position of your remaining teeth.

#3. Collapsed Bite

If you are missing multiple teeth, you could be at risk for a collapsed bite. When multiple teeth are missing, it causes the remaining teeth to shift, which can make your facial shape.

Don’t let any of these hidden consequences of missing teeth happen to you. Contact us today to learn about how dental implants can help.