11 Aug 2020 The simple answer to this question is “YES”. Perhaps the more important question to ask is: ‘Why it is important to replace missing teeth?’ The body, as we have been led to believe, is more than the sum of its parts and all parts must function properly for the body to thrive. This is true because if the stomach is upset, then the whole body feels ill. This is the same with the mouth, gums and teeth. After all, the fewer teeth you have, the harder it is to chew your food.
The truth of the matter is that when a tooth is missing, certain things begin to happen. The opposite tooth will begin to grow into the space. So if you lost a top tooth, its opposing tooth on the bottom jaw would grow up in a process called extrusion or super eruption into the space. The teeth on either side of the gap would also slide off their axis, leaning at odd angles. This makes proper cleaning very difficult which could lead to further decay of the surrounding teeth, leading to more teeth being extracted, and so the downward spiral goes.
But this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If the lost tooth is not replaced other more serious things begin to happen. Your gums can begin to recede, exposing the root structures of surrounding teeth that can cause them to become terribly sensitive and more prone to decay themselves. This is still not the worst thing that can happen if multiple teeth are missing.
What occurs when more teeth are lost is that you can lose arch. What this means is that you lose distance between the back of the last tooth on one side of your mouth and its opposite number on the other side. This causes your bite to collapse and the distance between your chin and nose to lessen making your face shrink. Your cheeks then slide into the hollows making you look much older than you are.
But all of this can be avoided! There are many options available nowadays to replace lost teeth on time before any of the things mentioned can happen. In fact, replacing lost teeth with dental implants has been the treatment method of choice for over 40 years. Dental implants use titanium screws inserted into the jawbone to anchor false teeth in place. This method looks natural but is only one of options open to you.
Another option available is, you can have a fixed replacement like a porcelain crown and bridge or an over-denture or conventional dentures. For crown and bridge, a crown is fixed into the space your original tooth occupied with little or no fuss. These porcelain teeth can be made to resemble your other teeth, ensuring that the cap is not noticeable and looks natural. Dentures would be used in more severe cases where a lot of teeth needed to be replaced. They would be fitted to your mouth being anchored by the adjacent teeth. But with all these options open to you, you can always ensure that you have a lovely radiant smile once again.
By choosing to replace lost teeth it may turn out to be a little pricey and not all dental procedures are covered by health insurance. But in the long run it works out much cheaper to replace one tooth than a whole mouth of now rotten or missing teeth.