Most people lose teeth due to trauma, injury, gum disease, or dental cavities. Tooth loss can undermine your smile, erode self-esteem, and put your life at risk. But you can avoid all these issues by replacing missing teeth.
What age do adult teeth fall out?
According to CDA, 6.4% of Canadians have no natural teeth. CDC data indicates that 7% of teens and 69% of adults aged 35-44 years have lost a permanent tooth. On average, Americans lose around 12 teeth by the age of 50. And 26% of seniors have lost all their natural teeth. You can lose your adult teeth at any age.
Why replacing missing teeth is important?
Your teeth play a critical role in aesthetics, nutrition, and overall health. Here are five reasons why you should always replace missing teeth:
Aesthetics:
A gap between your front teeth can undermine your smile. And there’s more. Your charming smile defines your identity. To protect your smile and identity, replace missing teeth.
Self-esteem:
Tooth loss can undermine self-esteem and make you smile less often. You’ll be less confident to open your mouth, laugh, or speak. To boost your self-esteem, replace missing teeth.
Function:
Each tooth in your mouth has a specific job, from biting, chewing, and grinding. You won’t enjoy balanced diets with nuts and seeds if you’re missing several teeth. Also, teeth may shift to the missing teeth areas and this may end up with functional TMJ problems.
Oral hygiene and health:
Gaps left by missing teeth can accumulate food debris and encourage plaque and tartar buildup. Bacteria can colonize these spaces, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Replace missing teeth to protect your health.
Speech:
Your teeth influence your pronunciations and tonal variations. Some people struggle to pronounce simple words after losing several teeth. To restore your oratory skills, replace missing teeth.
What happens if you don't replace missing teeth?
Replacing missing back teeth may seem like a waste of money. After all, no one can see the gap in the back of your mouth. But un-replaced missing teeth have far-reaching consequences.
Misaligned Teeth: After losing a tooth, the remaining teeth shift towards the gap. It creates a domino effect where your natural teeth move at different speeds and angles. It can lead to misalignment.
Bone Loss. Healthy natural teeth enhance your jawbone’s structural integrity. Think of how trees with deep roots reduce soil erosion. Holes left by missing teeth can lead to jawbone deterioration, clinically known as bone loss.
Physical Changes: Your jawbone defines your face's shape. As your jawbone deteriorates due to tooth loss, your facial muscles will sink or shrink. It can change your appearance over time.
Loosened Teeth. The roots of healthy teeth weaken they shift into the gap. If you don’t replace missing teeth, the loosening of adjacent teeth can lead to tooth loss.
TMJ Disorder: Your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) rely on the muscles around your ears for proper function. Tooth loss can interfere with muscle flexibility, leading to TMJ disorder.
What is the best option for replacing missing teeth?
In today’s digital age, you have several teeth replacement options. There is no one-fits-all strategy for replacing missing teeth. Factors like the number of missing teeth, oral health, and your budget will determine the best treatment option for you.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are permanent replacement teeth with artificial crowns and tooth roots. The screw-like extension is implanted into the gum to hold artificial crowns replacing missing teeth. With proper care, your implant can last for a lifetime.w
A dental implant can replace a single tooth, while all-on-4 implants are ideal for replacing several teeth. However, some patients need a bone graft to address bone loss before implant surgery. To avoid complications, replace missing teeth as soon as possible.
Dental Bridges
A dental bridge consists of one or more artificial teeth between two crowns. The tooth-like crowns attach to abutment teeth next to the gap. There are four types of dental bridges, but most people have Maryland bridges or traditional bridges. You may need a temporary bridge to close the gap as you wait for the lab to fabricate your custom dental bridge.
Dentures
Dentures are artificial teeth replacements. There are several types of dentures, including implant-retained, complete, partial, and full dentures.
Dentures are the most cost-effective teeth replacements. On average, the cost of dentures ranges from $2,000 to $5,000. You can get a conventional denture for only $1000. But dentures require intensive aftercare. To clean a denture, use hot water with denture cleaner or disinfectant.
Can you live with missing teeth?
Yes, you can live without one or several teeth. But teeth are designed to work together. Tooth loss can undermine your smile, speech, and health. So, should you replace missing teeth? Yes, you should. You can rely on Toronto Smile Design - Yorkville Dental to replace missing teeth and restore function and aesthetics.
Why Toronto Smile Design for Teeth Replacement?
Dr. Johnson Ozgur is a Toronto dentist with a Master's Degree in Oral Surgery. You can rely on Dr. Johnson for dental implants, dental bridges, all-on-4 implants, and more. To replace missing teeth and restore your smile, contact us today!
