What Happens to Your Mouth When You Are Missing Teeth?
A missing tooth or teeth causes more than just cosmetic issues that affect your appearance. If you don’t replace a missing tooth with a prosthetic, you may begin to experience serious complications. West Georgia Family Dentistry specializes in cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry in Douglasville, GA and can find the safest and most effective solution for missing teeth so that you can avoid these risks.
Atrophy of Your Jawbone
If you have missing teeth, your jawbone will eventually shrink. This happens very gradually, but even one or two missing teeth will cause problems. Over time, your jawbone will weaken enough that you will be at a higher risk of jawbone fracture and further tooth loss. Eventually, you won’t be a good candidate for dental implants or dental bridges and will only be able to use dentures to replace missing teeth.
Sinus Problems
Missing upper teeth can lead to sinus issues. A single missing tooth can alter the size of your jawbone, which affects your sinuses. As the jawbone shrinks, your sinus cavity is brought even closer to your teeth. This will increase your risk of sinus infections and complications from sinus drainage.
Misaligned Bite
The most common symptom of missing teeth is a misaligned bite. This occurs when there are more teeth on one half of the jaw than the other. Misalignment is due to your remaining teeth shifting to fill in the gap left by missing teeth. This will affect your bite, eventually causing jaw pain and inflammation while chewing. You will also be at a higher risk of broken, chipped, or cracked teeth.
Face Collapse
If you go years without replacing missing teeth, you are at risk of face collapse. Face collapse occurs when the jawbone shrinks and the bone rotates forward. This affects the size, shape, and overall appearance of the chin, jaw, lips, and cheeks.
Schedule an Appointment for Cosmetic Dentistry in Douglasville, GA
If you are missing one or more teeth, come see us at West Georgia Family Dentistry. We specialize in restorative and cosmetic dentistry in Douglasville, GA and can evaluate your dental and oral health and find the best solution for missing teeth. We may recommend dental implants, a dental bridge, or dentures. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
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