It’s super important to have a full complement of teeth from a functional standpoint and from an aesthetic standpoint. If we’re missing teeth, one of the first things it’s obviously noticeable depending on which tooth it is. If it’s something that someone can’t see in a smile or when they’re speaking, people tend to think, okay, it’s not that big a deal, nobody can see it.
What they don’t realize is the bite changes and the bite collapse and the lack of function on that particular side where someone’s missing a tooth. So they don’t think about it, but they start chewing on the other side. And then they start developing problems on teeth on the other side of the mouth.
And then they end up losing more teeth because now 100% of that biting force is only on one side of the mouth. And when that happens, we speed up the wear and tear on that one side, and that can lead to additional tooth loss. Even when you can’t see them, losing teeth causes a problem with function.
And this is something that can happen very gradually over time. So people will tend to put off replacing molars. They just think, oh, nobody can see it.
I’m the only one that knows it’s there. When in actuality, it’s causing some major problems. It can cause bite problems.
It can lead to joint problems, TMJ problems, and things of that nature. Obviously, missing a front tooth, most people want to get that fixed as soon as possible because it is obvious. Now, from a someone loses a front tooth, they want to replace as quickly as possible.
But again, you’re still having problems with function, with appearance. And when a tooth is gone, we begin to lose bone volume in that area. And when we lose bone volume in that area, it can cause problems with the adjacent teeth.
It can cause problems with the opposing teeth. So now all of a sudden, the teeth have shifted, the teeth have moved, and it makes restoring all that and trying to put things back together when someone is finally ready, it makes it more challenging. So if you think you have a tooth that possibly needs to come out, or you’re missing a tooth, the sooner you can replace it, the better off you’re going to be because the more predictable the replacement is, and the better the long-term success is, the sooner the tooth is replaced from the time it comes out.
