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Why Replace Missing Teeth?

The most simple reason to replace a missing tooth using a restoration like a dental implant is that one missing tooth is likely to lead to another, eventually causing complete tooth loss. Without teeth, your ability to chew becomes degraded and your digestion suffers. As you cut out hard-to-chew and hard-to-digest foods, your nutrition will suffer. As you have less access to vital nutrients, you are at an increased risk for numerous diseases and conditions, some of them life-threatening.

Not to mention how much people will miss seeing your bright smile.

When you lose a tooth, several things begin to happen. Teeth depend on one another for support under the intense force of chewing (which has been measured in the range of 2800 to 4300 pounds per square inch). Once one tooth is gone, the other teeth lack support and instead of providing straight up-and-down force in return may begin to slide laterally. This leads to drifting teeth. Once a tooth is missing, the gums and jawbone in that area are no longer stimulated and may begin to atrophy, decreasing support for adjacent teeth.

Poorly aligned teeth are harder to clean, increasing your risk of periodontal disease and cavities in hard-to-treat areas. Periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults. In addition, poorly aligned teeth do not balance the forces as well as straight teeth, increasing the risk that you will fracture a tooth when you bite down. And when your teeth have cavities, they are further weakened and at risk for fracture.

This is not a prediction of the future, only a set of likely events that often happen to people who do not replace a missing tooth.

Once you have lost one tooth, it is time to consider acting to preserve the others. To learn more about ensuring the health and attractiveness of your smile, please contact Miami Designer Smiles today.