Importance Of Replacing Missing Teeth

Experiencing tooth loss can bring about a number of emotions for patients. Some patients feel upset and traumatized, while others feel anger over the state of their oral health. There are a number of reasons that patients may experience tooth loss, such as trauma to the mouth, side effects of medication or a medical condition, severe decay, and family history. At Green Dentistry, one of the ways we assist our patients is to help them choose a tooth replacement option as soon as possible to restore their oral health. Patients with prolonged tooth loss or who have experienced tooth loss in one of the rear molars often question if a replacement is truly necessary, and our response is — always.

Why Replace Missing Teeth?

Although they are individually placed in your mouth, your teeth work together as a complete unit. Each tooth performs a specific job, and when one tooth is missing, it changes how the teeth function as a whole. Think about your favorite sports team. Each player is needed for the game to progress properly. If one player becomes injured and they are not replaced, it opens up the other players up to injury or exhaustion from working harder than usual. Your teeth are exactly the same. When one tooth is missing and not replaced, it causes the surrounding teeth to have to work harder and can lead to premature wear and severe damage.

Reasons to Replace Teeth

There can be a number of reasons that patients hesitate to replace missing teeth. The most common reasons we hear are time constraints, money concerns and anxiety over treatment. We encourage each patient who is missing teeth to meet with Dr. Patel and the team to create a solution to their oral health problem. It is extremely important, no matter the location, to replace each tooth that is missing for many reasons, including:

• Your other teeth will wear faster because they have to do extra work
• You can develop a speech impediment or lisp due to missing teeth
• Eating becomes more complicated, and you might need to avoid certain foods
• Your teeth can easily shift and become misaligned, creating gaps and crowding issues
• The jaw will begin to deteriorate, causing facial drooping

If you are in need of a tooth replacement and would like more information about which treatment plan is best for you, please contact our office located in San Francisco, CA. We look forward to helping you with your dental needs soon.