Fixing a single problem with dental implants before it becomes worse
Other than the obvious problem of having a single missing tooth – the appearance of your smile and its effect on your confidence, there are often negative long term side effects that many people may not consider. While some may choose to leave a gap in their teeth, whether it’s due to injury or decay, this is actually a road to greater oral health problems in the future. We at Warrendale Dental understand the potential problems you may face and can ensure that dental implants in Herefordshire may prevent them.
Risk factors of a single missing tooth
It is important to note that these risks only apply to adults. Children losing teeth is a natural and necessary process, but once adult teeth are finished growing and fixed in place, losing them could present the following problems:
Jaw bone loss – We often think of our bones as something that is just there, never changing and always pretty solid. However, this is not the case with the jaw bone. The tooth plays a vital role in the health and function of the jawbone. As it anchors itself in the socket of the bone it supports the area surrounding it. Once the tooth is removed, the bone no longer has the support it needs, causing it to collapse. With dental implants in Herefordshire, the gap left by the missing tooth is replaced thus allowing the bone to adhere to something once more.
Shifting teeth – Once a gap is opened due to a missing tooth, the surrounding teeth then have space to move around. This may cause spacing between teeth that was never a problem before and can seriously affect your bite too.
Bite problems – Also known as malocclusion, this not only impacts the health of your remaining teeth but also affect your jaw joints, head, neck, and muscles surrounding your jaw. Negative impacts on these areas can lead to headaches, tooth sensitivity, chewing problems, TMJD, and muscle pain, as well as the unnatural wearing of teeth.
Eating and digestion – We rely on our teeth to eat whole and healthy foods. Our front teeth are used to bite off chunks of food while our back teeth grind up those bites into digestible portions. Should either one of these areas be missing a tooth, it may become difficult for you to bite and chew correctly, causing digestive issues that may lead to other health concerns like indigestion or even a lack of decent nutrition as your condition worsens and you are unable to eat good foods.
Facial aesthetics – Your teeth and a healthy jaw directly affect the structure and appearance of your face. Missing teeth may cause your face to look sunken and therefore aged as the structure collapses inwards.
Speech – Your teeth help you speak words correctly, shaping them into the sounds we recognize as speech. Should teeth go missing, your speech could possibly turn into a lisp and you may experience slurring and unintentional whistling while you speak.
Avoiding these problems
By replacing a single missing tooth with dental implants in Herefordshire as soon as you lose it, your chances of avoiding these risk factors are much higher than if you leave it for a later date. It is easier to replace one tooth than try to fix the consequences of ignoring it.