How Important Is Replacing Missing Teeth?

29 July 2020

Dental implants at Etwall Dental Practice can make a huge difference to our patients’ lives. Over a number of years, we’ve seen patients suffer with missing teeth or uncomfortable dentures. For many, having dental implants is as close to getting their natural teeth back, as is possible. Gone are the days of slipping dentures and gaps in teeth. Instead, this orthodontic treatment offers natural-looking permanent tooth replacements, giving you back confidence in your smile. Whilst the benefits of dental implants may be apparent, there will be people who choose to ignore their missing teeth, deeming them not important enough to replace. Left untreated, missing teeth can cause a far bigger issue than just aesthetics. Here, Etwall Dental Practice breaks down some of the key reasons why getting missing teeth replaced is vitally important.

Appearance

Despite being very superficial to those who have all their teeth, the effects of missing teeth are very real. To varying degrees, we are all concerned with our appearance, so the loss of just one tooth can cause significant emotional stress. There are a number of reasons people can find themselves missing teeth, the most common cause we come across is tooth decay.

The loss of a perfect smile will often lead to a loss in confidence, which spills over into your work and personal life. Years of experience alone has taught all those at Etwall Dental Practice that dental implants are extremely effective in boosting patient more and self-esteem. With no visible difference between a tooth replacement and a natural one, the positive impact of dental implants cannot be understated and should certainly be considered by all those with missing teeth.

Oral Health/Jaw Problems

Most importantly, having teeth replaced is absolutely vital to maintaining good oral health. When a tooth is lost, the balance of your dental structure is disturbed. The gap the missing tooth creates allows for the remaining teeth to shift as a result of regular chewing.

This could lead to further oral problems in the long term, particularly if the distorted structure of the teeth interferes with the ability to chew correctly. The loss of a tooth can also have a serious impact in terms of tooth decay. As a result of this, people will lose numerous teeth over the years, with additional bone loss a further cause for concern.

Headaches

The problems that arise with missing teeth stretch further than just in the mouth. With teeth shifting to cover any gaps your jaw joint and surrounding muscles cannot fully relax, thus creating excessive tension and pressure. Whilst this can cause a certain amount of discomfort, it may also lead to more serious issues, such as chronic headaches and migraines.

Comfort

Those with all your teeth intact will probably not be aware of how it feels when a hard piece of food finds itself in-between the exposed root of the missing molar and the existing one. For those with missing teeth, this is a quite regular occurrence and a painful one at that. People have been known to give up on meat and other favoured foods, just to alleviate themselves of the discomfort. Ultimately, losing the ability to chew could have a far bigger impact on your day-to-day life than originally anticipated.

Digestive Problems

Studies have proven that when a healthy set of teeth and gums help us chew food correctly, our digestive system is improved tenfold. When food is chewed correctly, we develop saliva which aids the breakdown of some carbohydrates. How you chew your food is therefore equally as important as the quality of food you’re digesting. Not being able to chew correctly results in you missing out on some of the very important nutrients, which contribute to your overall health.

How are missing teeth treated?

Single Tooth Implant

Single tooth dental implants are especially common when replacing missing teeth. With implant treatments, the implant itself is acts as a replacement for the root of your missing tooth. Not only is this the perfect treatment for those with missing teeth, but those with dentures also benefit from additional reinforcement.

Check out our Single Tooth Dental Implant page for more information.

All-on-4® and All-on-6® Same-Day Teeth

Following a completely free consultation at Etwall Dental Practice, our dental experts may recommend the All-on-4® and All-on-6® Same-Day Teeth treatments. These involve fitting an arch of prosthetic teeth onto either four or six titanium implants, dependant on the severity of your situation. These treatments differ from the traditional single tooth implant, in that two implants are placed at the front of your mouth and a further two at the rear. The titanium material, combined with the additional implants, add far more support for your mouth than a single implant can provide.

Take a look at more information on our All-on-4® and All-on-6® Same-Day Teeth.

If you’ve read through all of the above and feel as though your situation may be applicable, please don’t hesitate to contact Etwall Dental Practice. To do so, you can use either our Contact form, call us on 01283 733391 opt 3 to speak to Lorna our treatment coordinator or pay us a visit at the practice.