Everyone wants a bright smile, but if you or your children are missing a tooth, it can draw some unwanted attention. Not only does it affect your smile, but it can be a serious health concern, too.
Missing teeth can be harmful to your gums and jaw, but with many options to fill in the spaces with bridges, dentures, and dental implants, our family dentist at Heroes Dental can shape that perfect smile that can restore your confidence.
Here are the 5 most significant reasons why you will want to schedule a dentist appointment if you are missing a tooth.
- Say Goodbye to Straight Teeth
Your remaining teeth may automatically try to shift into the gap that is left behind, ruining your other teeth’s alignment. This can absolutely affect how you chew and may even cause bite irregularities.
- Missing Teeth Can Affect Your Self-Esteem
With teeth missing, your facial shape and side profile will change, appearing caved-in or sullen. This happens because the underlying jaw structures, skin, and gums may recede, causing you to look older than you actually are.
Missing teeth can also cause problems in speech. Teeth are crucial to sounding out certain words, and if a particular tooth is missing, it can cause sounds to form that a growing teenager may find embarrassing.
- Missing Teeth Could Eventually Contribute to Serious Health Conditions
The gap left behind from a missing tooth is a playground for plenty of bad bacteria that can cause plaque buildup. This plaque buildup and bad germs can eventually make its way into the bloodstream, possibly contributing to the development of endocarditis, an infection in the inner lining of the heart.
At the same time, plaque and bad bacteria may cause many other poor health conditions like clogged arteries, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even strokes.
- Losing One Could Mean Losing More
Losing a tooth can cause bone loss, gum recession, or shifting teeth that exposes little pockets in nearby teeth that bad bacteria and plaque like to grow in. This can cause other teeth to loosen and fall out as well.
- Eating Can Get Difficult
A missing tooth can effectively prevent you or your children from eating your favorite meal. For each missing tooth you have, you lose about 10 percent of your chewing ability, which can ultimately lead to malnutrition.
Let the experienced family dentists of Heroes Dental get your confidence back with a brand new full smile.
Setting in dental implants, bridges, or dentures in adults and children who are missing teeth can address all of the previous problems and concerns, effectively allowing you to get your freedom back.
Waiting for the right time to visit your dentist could backfire, causing more teeth to loosen and fall out. In the long run, it may be a decision that can become costly if preventative measures aren’t taken.
If you are missing a tooth, contact Heroes Dental at (956) 800-1060 today to schedule an appointment at any of our offices in South Texas including McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, and San Juan.