After the loss of their milk teeth, most people will have their adult teeth come in until they have a full smile of 32 teeth. These teeth contain an assortment of types, each specialized to perform a specific job. Crushing molars, tearing canines, and slicing incisors all work together to help a patient chew and digest food effectively. Throughout a patient’s life, a lot can happen that can lead to the loss of one or more of these teeth, and many will feel there’s no reason to replace them. Some patients will opt to replace a tooth in the event that the gap has an impact on their smile, but that’s not the only reason it’s important to replace missing teeth.
All Teeth In Your Mouth Are Important
Let’s start with the most fundamental reason for replacing a tooth you’ve lost. Your mouth evolved as a system that works together, with each teeth doings its job and evenly distributing the workload between them. When you lose a tooth, the workload has to be distributed to all the other teeth in your mouth, especially those of the same type. This leads to additional wear and tear that will cause damage to your remaining teeth more quickly.
Each Keeps The Others In Alignment
Each tooth in your mouth is part of an elaborate system of anchors that ensures your teeth remain in place, straight and in alignment. Further, the gap in your teeth compromises the system of mutual support they have and can result in their shifting out of place as time goes on. This can lead to serious orthodontic concerns, including seriously misaligned teeth that make effective oral hygiene difficult. Not only do misaligned teeth open you up to gingivitis and periodontal disease, but they also can cause your jaw to become misaligned over time.
Clear Speech Requires A Full Set Of Teeth
As we grow up, we learn to use all parts of our mouth to speak effectively. This includes every one of our teeth, each of which is used to help form the sounds of speech. When we have a tooth fall out, it can impact how we speak and making clear communication harder to maintain. Replacing your teeth can help ensure you’re always able to speak clearly and proudly.
Protect Bone From Degrading
Another important function of your natural teeth is to support your healthy jawbone. When patients lose their teeth, it’s possible that their jawbone will begin degrading as a result. The longer that a patient goes without having teeth, the more likely that they’ll experience bone loss that can lead to bigger problems down the road.
If you have questions about replacing your teeth and are wondering what your dentist can do to help, call them today. If you need a new dentist, then reach out to Dr. Reynaldo Barbon at Superb Dental Care in Pasadena, CA today. Their staff will schedule you for an appointment and bring you in for a consultation during which your restoration options will be discussed. Don’t wait, call now!
