The noticeable impacts of losing a tooth can often be significant enough to make the need to replace it obvious. However, this isn’t always the case, and the problems that can result from losing one or more teeth go far beyond the impact to your smile’s appearance. Today, we explore the potential dangers of ignoring tooth loss and what they could mean for your immediate and long-term oral health.
It’s the result of a bigger underlying problem
Tooth loss doesn’t occur on its own, or as a natural part of the aging process. On the contrary, losing a tooth is most often the result of an underlying oral health problem that has reached its severe stage and caused significant damage to your tooth and/or oral tissues. For example, chronic gum disease can systematically erode the gum tissues, ligaments, and bone structure that form the foundation of support for your teeth roots. In its severe stages, gum disease can leave one or more of your teeth without enough support, causing them to fall out or require extraction as part of your overall periodontal treatment.
It leads to several other significant concerns
It’s important to know that tooth loss is the result of another problem in order to fully restore your smile. Yet, identifying and treating that problem isn’t the only concern that comes with dealing with tooth loss. If you don’t replace a lost tooth as soon as possible, the impacts that the loss has on the rest of your teeth and oral health can be significant. For instance, some teeth can shift out of place toward the empty space in your dental ridge in response to changes in your bite’s overall balance. More of your healthy, natural teeth will be susceptible to dangers like structural damage or the formation of tooth decay, as well as problems with their alignment.
It can only be stopped by replacing your lost teeth
The longer you wait to address your tooth loss, the more significant the consequences can be to your oral health. This also means that treating your condition and restoring your smile could require more than just replacing your lost teeth, such as restoring any of your remaining natural teeth that may have been damaged, forced out of alignment, or more. Replacing your lost tooth or teeth with a custom-designed dental restoration, such as a dental bridge or denture, is the most effective way to stop these effects from getting worse while restoring your smile’s healthy, full appearance.
Learn more about the dangers of tooth loss
The greatest dangers of tooth loss stem from ignoring the loss and failing to replace your missing teeth as soon as possible. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI, today at 248-693-6213.