During a person’s lifetime, he or she may lose a permanent tooth, which if not given proper dental attention leads to oral issues that occur much later in life. In most cases, its long term effect on a person’s health might not be obvious at first but as time passes, other teeth have misaligned, decayed or in some ways infected.
In cases where multiple or nearly all teeth have been lost, dental implants are often recommended as the best tooth replacement options for edentulous adults.
What Could Happen When a Missing Tooth is Ignored for Years?
Losing one or multiple teeth at the back of your mouth usually does not pose as a problem as it does not affect your appearance. However, have awareness that whether the missing tooth was at the front or back, ignoring your need to seek proper dental care can bring about serious oral and general health issues.
Below are some examples of health issues that could arise or develop as a result of teeth loss:
1. Gum disease and tooth decay
When there’s a gap between your teeth, the teeth start to shift in ways that will make flossing difficult; or brushing the surface of your remaining teeth hard to reach. Those are the conditions that create a place for bacteria or for plaque to form, theregy increasing the risks of developing gum disease and tooth decay.
If still not given proper dental care, oral health issues will likely arise and lead to more tooth losses. At worst, it could also lead to other serious health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
2. Other Serious Effects of Teeth Misalignment
An individual’s bite might change once his or her teeth move or shift, as each teeth tend to rely on the adjacent teeth for support. If gaps exist in between, the shifting movement creates a domino effect that could bring about other health issues such as bite problems, joint pains and headaches, in additiion to showing a set of crookedly aligned teeth.
3. Bone Loss Occurrence
Having a set of healthy teeth assists in stimulating bone growth to support the jaw bone. That is why the absence of multiple teeth can lead to bone loss, while bone loss on the other hand, results to jaw shrinkage. If so, the jaw becomes weak in performing its function of support the mouth, which in the long run will change the shape of the individual’s smile and face.
Oral Health Remedies for Multiple Teeth Losses
Although modern dental health care provides multiple options for teeth replacement, the best way to know which option suits you is having a dentist examine your dental condition. A dentist is in the best position to give you proper and adequate information about the benefits and disadvantages of each dental replacement option available to you.
While many ask how much are dental implants as option for replacing multiple teeth, a dentist will painstakingly explain the composition of this dental treatment. That way, patients can fully grasp why dental implants even if expensive, are cost effective in the long run. Mainly because of the permanent nature of the treatment.