Why You Should Never Ignore Missing Teeth

Despite your best efforts to maintain healthy teeth, age, decay, or injury can lead to tooth loss. As many as 178 million people in the United States are missing at least one tooth. If you’re part of this population, you know gaps left by missing teeth can significantly impact your self-esteem and confidence. 

Missing teeth can also have serious consequences when it comes to your oral and your overall health. 

At ME Dental Spa in West Hollywood, California, Denis Mustadanagic, DMD, and our skilled team specialize in general, cosmetic, and implant dentistry. We want you to understand the implications of ignoring missing teeth and why it’s smart to take advantage of treatments that restore your smile beautifully. 

Missing teeth and the look of your smile

If you’re missing an incisor, canine, or premolar, it’s hard not to notice the cosmetic effects. For many people, the loss of such visible teeth is a compelling reason to seek dental care. 

But even the loss of molars, which are hidden from view in the back of your mouth, can significantly affect your appearance. Without the support these teeth provide, the skin around your cheeks and mouth can prematurely wrinkle and sag. Missing teeth can also lead to bone loss in the jaw, altering your facial structure. 

Missing teeth and your health

Gaps in your teeth can make it difficult to chew food properly. Bone loss in the jaw due to missing teeth weakens its structure.

Missing teeth also increase your risk of gum disease and inflammation. Their absence affects how you pronounce words. You may also suffer problems with your temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which connect your jaw to your skull.

Teeth also support each other in the jaw. When one or more are missing, the surrounding teeth can shift toward the gap, causing alignment and bite issues. These problems can increase your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and inflammation, potentially leading to serious health conditions such as:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Complications during pregnancy
• Endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart
• Pneumonia and other respiratory conditions

Conditions like diabetes, which affect the body's ability to fight infections, can further aggravate these oral health issues.

Replacing missing teeth

Dental implants are widely regarded as the best solution for replacing missing teeth due to their natural appearance and feel. Unlike traditional dentures or bridges, dental implants involve a post that’s permanently embedded into your jawbone, mimicking the characteristics of a natural tooth root. 

If your jawbone isn’t sufficient to support implants, we may recommend a bone graft to ensure a stable foundation for your new teeth.

Getting a dental implant involves surgery to implant the post into your jawbone. Once it heals, we top it with a natural-appearing prosthetic tooth designed to fit perfectly into your smile. 

Dental implants restore normal bite force, prevent bone loss in the jaw, support gum health, and reinforce surrounding teeth. They’re durable and easy to care for — you simply brush and floss as usual and keep up with routine dental exams and preventive care.

By addressing missing teeth with dental implants, you can restore not only your smile, but also your overall health and confidence. Don’t ignore missing teeth or let them negatively affect your health and self-esteem. Contact ME Dental Spa today to explore your replacement options.