Long Term Effects of Missing Teeth

So What are the top long term effects of missing teeth?

Effect #1 Permanent Bone Loss

The greatest concern when dealing with missing teeth is permanent bone loss. Along with losing the bone in your teeth, you also lose the bone that is upholding your jawline in that part of your gum. As a result, the surrounding bone can lose its ability to hold up your jaw, which adversely affects the way your jaw works and looks. You can also have increased jaw pain due to incorrectly positioning teeth in the jawbone. To resolve permanent bone loss, you want to go with the best solution for missing teeth.

Generally, this is a dental implant rather than dentures, but individual dental cases vary. You can also suffer from permanent bone loss due to bacteria from periodontitis. That is why it is important to see a visit for treatment options for missing teeth. The dental professional is able to rule out any other underlying conditions, such as periodontal disease or gingivitis or tumors in the face, that are causing missing teeth and bone loss.

Effect #2 Misaligned and Shifting Teeth

When you lose one tooth, it releases the tension in the jawbone that is holding the surrounding teeth in their position. The loss of one tooth causes these neighboring teeth to shift. As a result, when you bite down, you may experience a shift in your bite. This can lead to oral pain, headaches, and issues with chewing.

If you have ever worn braces, then you have experienced the shifting of teeth through the correction devices. When you lose one or more teeth, your teeth shift but without any structure to hold them in alignment. You experience the oral pain associated with this movement. Also, once your teeth have shifted thanks to the room from the missing teeth, you are going to have a malocclusion.

Effect #3 Imperfect Bite

Malocclusion or incorrect positioning of the teeth is a result of shifting teeth and gum tissue. When you are missing a tooth, this allows the supporting teeth to become mobile with the new room in the gums. As a result, the way your teeth clash together when you bite down can change.

The negative side is when this causes malocclusion. The solution for an imperfect bite is braces or other corrective devices for dental care. This is a long treatment that can be avoided in this instance by getting missing teeth replaced. Dental implants in Houston offer you a permanent solution to a malocclusion.

Effect #4 Increased Cost of Dental Care

The causes of missing teeth include tooth decay, poor oral hygiene, and periodontal disease. If you are suffering from either of these circumstances, this adversely affects your oral health for the long term. Periodontal disease aka gum disease leads to tooth decay and can cause you to lose all of your adult teeth. Poor oral hygiene is a primary factor in developing gum disease that leads to tooth decay.

The best way to provide yourself with good oral hygiene is to get a dental checkup every six months. By visiting the dentist every six months for dental cleanings along with daily oral care, you are able to avoid developing gum disease. Keep in mind, if you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, you will need to visit the dentist every four months for scaling and root planing.

This is necessary to remove the bacteria associated with gum disease that leads to tooth decay. It costs more money to get dental care when you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease compared to regular dental cleanings. Unfortunately, gum disease is incurable and can only be treated with regular dental care. Along with the cost of more frequent dental visits, you also have to pay to have dental implants to replace missing teeth due to tooth decay.

Effect #5 Difficulty Chewing

Trying to chew without teeth can be impossible. After all, this is the primary function of your teeth. If you are missing one or more teeth, you are most likely going to have difficulty chewing. To solve this issue, dental implants provide a permanent tooth replacement. You do not have to be as careful with the foods you eat, i.e., sticky candy or popcorn, in comparison to dentures that can easily come out.

With a dental implant, you have the confidence that you can chew in public while enjoying your favorite foods with the same cautions you have for taking care of your normal teeth. After all, you do want to be careful when eating hard, sticky, or sharp foods whether you have dental implants or your existing teeth.

Effect #6 Dental Pain

Between tooth decay and periodontal disease, you have most likely been suffering from dental pain for a while now. Once the teeth that are decayed have been pulled, you would expect the pain to subside as well. However, what actually happens is the gum tissue and jawbone is forced out of position. This leads to pain, just as you have pain when your spine is out of alignment.

The only way to resolve this pain is to find a replacement for the tooth and its roots. This is where a dental implant in Houston works perfectly in most dental cases. A dental implant has a thin titanium screw that is surgically inserted into the jawbone. This screw serves as the root for the dental implant, as well as for the overall structure of the tooth itself. The result is less dental pain in the long term thanks to a permanent root and tooth replacement for one or more missing teeth.

Effect #7 Affects Sleep

When you have missing teeth causing dental pain, you are not able to sleep. You spend the night tossing and turning. If your gum tissue and face are swollen, this is most likely caused by inflammation and potentially infection. This is a serious and painful condition that needs to be treated by a dentist in Houston, Texas immediately to prevent further tooth and gum loss. When your face is swollen you are unable to sleep or rest easily.

Trying to use ice packs to reduce the swelling is not advised as a replacement for actual dental care. Furthermore, if you are suffering from dental pain that is affecting your quality of sleep, please make an appointment to visit the dentist as soon as possible. We can resolve the reason for your dental pain and ensure you able to get a good night sleep once again.

Effect #8 Change in Smile

Your smile is part of your personality. It makes you and only you can smile the way you do! You want to have the best looking and healthiest smile possible, and missing teeth do not help you achieve that goal. One solution will—dental implants. If you are struggling with self-image issues caused by missing teeth, you can change your smile for the better using dental care.

While you may feel like it is not a priority to replace your teeth, it is both beneficial to your overall health—as well as to how confident you feel when you smile. Thankfully, there are so many affordable treatment options for missing teeth based on your present oral health and budget. This way you can choose oral care that fits your lifestyle and will last for the long term.

Best Solution for Missing Teeth

The best solution for missing teeth is dental implants in Houston. With a dental implant, you are able to recover your smile and oral health for the long term. It all starts with a free dental implant consultation with one of our dental professionals at Omega Dental Specialists. We are able to help you determine what kind of solution is best for your missing teeth. The most common solutions we offer are dental implants.

Dental Implants Versus DenturesWhy dental implants versus dentures? When you use traditional dentures, you are faced with several issues that are costly and time-consuming—and potentially embarrassing. Dentures come loose in the gums, require glue, and must be removed daily to clean and store them overnight. Dental implants, on the other hand, are permanently inserted into your gums using titanium screws.

You never remove dental implants and are able to continue life as you would if you had a full set of your own teeth. Because essentially a dental implant is a transplant that is affixed to your gums and jaw bone for the rest of your life. If the tooth on the implant becomes damaged or discolored, it can be removed and replaced easily and affordably using the screw embedded in your jaw and supporting your mouth tissue.

How to Choose the Right Dental Implants Specialist

Choosing the right type of dental implants for your missing teeth starts with a consultation with a dentist. The dentists here at Omega Dental Specialists will work with you to select the best fit for your missing teeth. We provide a range of options for dental implants that are designed to solve your specific dental care issue.

At Omega Dental Specialists, we provide the following types of dental implants:

• Single tooth dental implant
• All-on-four for a total upper or lower teeth implant
• Total dental implant
• Implant-supported over-denture
• Teeth-in-an-hour dental implant

To provide you with the greatest value for your dental implants in Houston, TX we also offer ongoing dental cleanings and care. You can depend on our staff to help you care for your implants to have these for the rest of your life. We will give you information on self-care and cleaning for your implants, as well as tips for reducing any gum sensitivity following the new implants.

Where to Get Dental Implants in Houston, Texas

In order to fix your smile and replace your missing teeth, you need to find dental implants in Houston, Texas today. We have you covered here at Omega Dental Specialists with comprehensive dental services. Along with professional and affordable dental implants, we also offer routine dental exams and oral checkups with tooth cleanings. With preventative care for the long term, you provide your teeth and gums with the greatest opportunity to avoid future missing teeth—and the need for additional dental implants.

To get started with dental implants at Omega Dental Specialists, contact our office at 713-322-7474 and schedule a complimentary dental implants consultation with one of our periodontists. We offer a free dental consultation for patients who are interested in getting permanent and affordable dental implants in Midtown Houston.