The Impact of Missing Teeth on Oral Health

Although missing teeth tend to be a fairly common problem among adults (and, unfortunately, something very normalized), the truth is that this condition can have more serious consequences than people imagine. This problem not only affects the aesthetics of the smile, but also compromises the oral health and functionality of teeth.

Among the consequences of missing teeth we can mention:

• The balance that exists between the structures that make up the oral cavity is altered, which over time could increase the chances of developing oral diseases. And remember that everything that happens in your mouth also affects the rest of your body.
   
• Missing teeth can cause neighboring teeth to shift into the empty space, causing them to occupy places they don't belong. This compromises aesthetics, causes malocclusions, crowding, also affecting the way the upper and lower teeth fit together.

In addition, when the dental arches do not coincide, chewing difficulties begin to arise and a temporomandibular joint disorder can be triggered, which generates pain in the masticatory muscles, headaches, excessive wear of the structure of the teeth (which increases sensitivity to cold and heat), etc.

• Risk of oral diseases: This teeth migration can also aggravate diseases such as dental caries and periodontal disease (by favoring areas where food debris and bacteria accumulate, for example), or make the patient more prone to suffer from them.
   
• Jaw bone loss: In areas where one or more teeth are missing the bone that supports them begins to resorb and thin, which is due to lack of stimulation.
   
• Low self-esteem: People who are missing one or more teeth may have problems and insecurities when relating to others because the lack of teeth compromises their self-image. This can even lead to anxiety and depression.

How dental implants can restore oral health and functionality:

Dental implants are an alternative for the replacement of missing teeth, having the function of replacing their root specifically. They can be used when one or more teeth are missing due to an oral pathology such as extensive caries whose only viable treatment was tooth extraction, advanced periodontal disease or trauma.

Once the implant is integrated into the jawbone, a dental prosthesis is placed on it, either a crown, a bridge or an overdenture. And both have as their main objective to achieve oral rehabilitation and restore the health of the oral cavity, which includes:

• A correct functionality: It allows the patient to chew food well and helps the correct phonation of words.
  
• Preventing tooth migration: As explained above, teeth tend to move closer and migrate into the space previously occupied by the missing teeth, causing bite problems such as malposition and crowding.
   
• It avoids the loss of maxillary bone: Or in case there is already bone loss, its progression is prevented. As it is a condition that worsens with the passage of time, it is sometimes necessary to perform a bone graft before placing the implants because the remaining bone tissue is very scarce.
   
• Restoring aesthetics: When implants are accompanied by porcelain prostheses excellent aesthetic results are achieved, since this material in addition to having very good resistance and durability, also has excellent aesthetic properties and manages to reproduce the natural color and appearance of the teeth very well.

Other factors that also improve aesthetics is that thanks to dental implants the contour of the tissues improves and the patient recovers the vertical dimension of the face, and this helps the patient look younger and conceal possible wrinkles.

• Increased self-esteem: The patient usually feels more comfortable and at ease with their appearance when they see their dental aesthetics recovered, in addition, of course, to the functionality of their teeth. This in turn has a positive impact on the way they relate to others, which improves their interpersonal relationships.

There is no doubt that dental implants are a treatment that by restoring oral health, function and aesthetics of the smile, also greatly improve the quality of life of patients.

If you are missing teeth and you are interested in a dental implant treatment, at Dr. Aburas dental clinic located in DFC we have the most qualified staff to offer you the most appropriate treatment according to your needs and clinical history. Contact us and make an appointment!