Why You Should Replace Missing Teeth

If you are missing one or more teeth, the Charleston, SC dentist office of Dr. R. Edward Hudgens is happy to help you replace your missing teeth with one of our tooth replacement options. We offer dental implants, dental bridges, dentures, and partials to help patients replace their missing teeth. We encourage patients to seek out their tooth replacement options as soon as they can following tooth loss, as missing teeth can create a wide range of issues within your smile.

Here are three reasons why you should replace your missing teeth in our Charleston, SC dentist office:

TOOTH DECAY & GUM DISEASE

Missing teeth create unique gaps within your smile. These gaps are perfect homes for food residue and bacteria to hide behind, making it difficult to clean your smile after a meal. This is why patients with missing teeth are considered at a higher risk for developing common dental concerns like tooth decay and gum disease. If you are missing teeth, take extra care to brush and floss all around your remaining dental structures, including all sides of the teeth surrounding your missing tooth. We would hate to see our patients suffering from compiling dental concerns after already experiencing tooth loss.

DENTAL SHIFTING

When you are missing a tooth, your other teeth must make up for the loss. This means that you may experience dental shifting as your other teeth attempt to fill the space left behind by the missing tooth. This causes a lot of concerns, especially for patients who have undergone extensive orthodontic work in the past. If you have ever had braces, a missing tooth could cause you to go into orthodontic relapse, potentially undoing years worth of dental work to straighten your smile. By replacing a missing tooth, you are preventing your other teeth from shifting into the empty space and avoiding the need for even more orthodontic work. Even if you have never had orthodontic work, you may need it if you wait too long to replace a missing tooth.

FUNCTIONALITY CONCERNS

Your teeth are meant to work together when performing daily tasks such as chewing or speaking. When you are missing a tooth, this may affect your ability to chew and speak normally. Additionally, your bite pattern becomes misaligned, which can cause symptoms like jaw pain, tension headaches, and earaches. This is because when your bite pattern suddenly changes, this puts additional stress and tension on your remaining dental structures. Left untreated, this could lead to the development of a TMJ disorder. The sooner you replace a missing tooth, the less amount of damage it is likely to cause within your smile. To learn more about your tooth replacement options, schedule an appointment with the Charleston, SC dentist office of Dr. R. Edward Hudgens.