Your smile is one of the very first things people notice about you. Unfortunately, despite the best measures to protect your oral orientation, you may still suffer a missing tooth. A missing tooth could stem from various factors, ranging from a fall, tooth decay, advanced gum disease trauma, and more. Whatever the case, a missing tooth is an issue that should not be overlooked. Considering Campbell tooth replacement is recommended as soon as possible because the long-term effects could be detrimental. Here are 5 common reasons to consider tooth replacement.
- To Avoid Bone Loss
Once you lose a tooth, the jawbone is no longer stimulated by the force of chewing. With time, the body absorbs the bone tissue from the jawbone to be utilized elsewhere in the body. This process is known as resorption, which starts months after you lose the tooth.
Ultimately, jawbone loss could make the shape of your face completely change. Your provider may suggest replacing your missing teeth with implants to avoid this bone loss. Of all the restorative procedures for replacing missing teeth, dental implants are the only ones that can avoid bone loss.
- To Maintain an Even Bite
The entire lower and upper arch should be full of teeth to maintain an even bite. If you have missing teeth, there are spaces between teeth, which may eventually result in teeth shifting to fill the space.
Once teeth shift, the way the lower and upper arch meets is hugely affected. An uneven bite causes various concerns that affect your jaw and teeth. Tooth replacement eliminates this gap and keeps teeth from shifting, thus preserving the bite.
- To Avoid the Overgrowth of Opposing Teeth
Just as the spaces left by missing teeth could shift the adjacent teeth to fill the space, this could also happen with opposing teeth. For instance, once you lose a tooth on the bottom arch, the tooth directly above might grow longer to fill the opposing gap.
This issue generally happens because the lack of a tooth implies there is no opposing force to restrict the growth of the opposing tooth. Restoring the missing teeth allows the opposing tooth to be subjected to the force of the dental prosthesis as it would have with the natural tooth.
- To Retain Function
Besides smiling, other functions of your teeth are to grind and bite food and help you speak. However, all the teeth should be present to perform these functions effectively. Once you have missing teeth, it hugely affects your ability to chew and bite certain chewy or hard foods.
Moreover, the spaces left by missing teeth alter how air flows during speech, and can even affect how you speak. Replacing missing teeth ensures that you can still perform these functions effectively.
- To Enhance Visual Aesthetics
Having a great smile is known to have numerous professional, social, and emotional advantages. Therefore, another reason to consider tooth replacement is to enhance the aesthetics of your smile. Smiles with a missing tooth or several missing teeth do not have a similar visual appeal as those with a complete set of teeth.
If you have one or more missing teeth, you are not alone! Millions of individuals in the United States struggle with missing teeth. Luckily, replacing missing teeth is easier than you might think. You can explore numerous tooth replacement options, including dentures, implants, bridges, and more. Replacing missing teeth prevents serious dental concerns in the future, such as bone loss, while preserving oral function and enhancing your smile. Talk to your dentist about your unique concerns to determine the best solution for you.