The Long-Term Effects of Tooth Loss

There are several concerns that come with losing one or more teeth, and the visual impact to your smile is only one of them. While you may notice that gap in your teeth more than you would the other consequences of tooth loss, those other consequences can have a much greater impact on the long-term state of your oral health. At our Encinitas/San Diego periodontal office, preventing and dealing with tooth loss is an important part of the comprehensive care that we provide. If you experience tooth loss, then we can help you regain your good oral health and avoid many of the most destructive consequences of losing teeth.

Reactions from your remaining teeth

When surrounded by other healthy, natural teeth, your teeth have optimal support whenever you bite and chew. When there are gaps in your rows of teeth, however, those that are closest to the gaps won’t have that support. As a result, they can shift toward the empty space and be exposed to uneven, excessive bite pressure. This results in several negative consequences, including increasingly worse malocclusion (tooth misalignment), higher risks of structural tooth damage, heightened risks of gum disease, and more.

The overall state of your oral health

As your teeth react to tooth loss, your oral health will grow worse as your risks of other consequences are also heightened. For example, if you’re more likely to get gum disease, then you’re more at-risk of losing more teeth to the disease. If you don’t restore the balance in your bite by replacing your lost teeth, then the undue pressure of it can lead to serious tooth damage and potentially further tooth loss. By reestablishing your whole and healthy smile, you not only regain the confidence in your smile’s appearance that you once enjoyed, but also the ability to preserve your healthy, natural smile for life.

The integrity of your smile’s foundation

Many of the effects of tooth loss revolve around how it impacts your oral health, and a big part of that concern involves the loss of your teeth roots. While the gap in your smile can have several negative results, the loss of your teeth roots means that your jawbone is no longer stimulated as much when you bite and chew. This will result in fewer nutrients being sent to your jawbone, which in turn will lead to the gradual loss of your jawbone’s mass and density. Fortunately, replacing your lost teeth with an appropriate number of dental implants can help you resolve these consequences, including the reestablishment of stimulation in your jawbone.

Stop the long-term effects of tooth loss

After losing one or more teeth, the effects of their loss can be devastating if you don’t replace them as soon as possible. To learn more about how dental implants can help you avoid most of these effects, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kania by calling her periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.