From draining your confidence to potentially opening the door for disease, a missing tooth can have big impacts. Here are three reasons you shouldn’t ignore a missing tooth.

A Missing Tooth Can Lead to Gum Disease

Your mouth is a breeding ground for many different kinds of bacteria. When a tooth falls out, it leaves a wound in your gum tissue—leaving you susceptible to infection, or ever worse: gum disease. When you develop gum disease, your gum tissue starts to recede, which can lead to even more tooth loss. What’s more, gum disease is linked to a number of serious health conditions including heart disease and diabetes.

Missing Teeth Can Upset the Balance in the Mouth

When one or several teeth are missing, it can throw the delicate balance out of whack. Missing teeth can also create changes in the density of your jawbone which could change the profile of your face. You may not realize it, but your jawbone needs stimulation to maintain its mass and shape. The bone gets this stimulation from the movement of your teeth as they click together. When you lose a tooth, the bone in that area no longer gets the stimulation it needs, and it will begin to lose mass. Over time, the loss of bone mass can cause your face to change shape.

Your Teeth Can Shift Out of Alignment

When you lose a tooth, you’re left with a large gap between the adjacent teeth. The teeth closest to the gap begin to lean, creating more space between them and their neighboring teeth. Before you know it, your straight teeth are crooked. Misaligned teeth are more than a cosmetic concern; they can also cause headaches and jaw pain. And on top of that, it’s harder to clean your teeth when they’re misaligned, which can lead to more decay and tooth loss.

Missing Teeth? Schedule an Appointment Today

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