Why It’s Important to Replace Missing Teeth ASAP

If you’ve lost a tooth or two and find yourself putting off a trip to the dentist, you may think that you have valid reasons for procrastinating. Maybe you’re having trouble fitting a dental appointment into your busy schedule. Or perhaps you’re just convinced that there’s no reason to rush anything. After all, how bad could it be to wait a few months – or longer – to get that tooth replaced? The reality is that you need to get missing teeth replaced as soon as possible. Here’s why:

Added Strain on Your Jaw and Gums

For starters, let’s talk about the added strain that missing teeth can place on your gums and jaw. Under normal conditions, with a mouth full of healthy teeth, bite force is distributed throughout the mouth. When even one or two of those teeth are missing, your other teeth need to work harder to pick up the slack. When multiple teeth are missing, it places extra stress on your gums and jaw. Over time, that can lead to jaw problems, gum infections, and other dental health complications.

Increased Risk to Your Other Teeth

You should also be cognizant of the risk that missing teeth can pose to dental integrity. When teeth fall out or get removed, they leave behind a dental structure that is weaker than it should be. And if you fail to promptly replace those missing teeth, adjacent teeth may shift out of place as well. That can lead to even more weakening and potentially place otherwise healthy teeth at risk for tooth loss.

Digestion Complications

Another thing to consider is the impact that missing teeth can have on your digestion. Naturally, your chewing will be impacted in a negative way whenever you lose teeth – especially if you have multiple missing teeth. You may end up struggling to properly chew your food – or may simply decide to eat more softer foods to avoid that challenge. Well, that could spell gastrointestinal problems. That’s because chewing is an integral part of the digestive process.

Here’s the problem: you need to chew to enable the digestive system to properly process your food. In addition, chewing creates saliva that helps to relax stomach muscles and ease food’s passage through the intestines. Most importantly, that chewing triggers messages to the stomach so that it knows when to begin to produce digestive acids. If any of those systems are disrupted, you end up with ineffective digestion and a whole host of potential digestive ailments.

Contact Ebenezer Dental for the Tooth Replacements You Need!

At Ebenezer Dental, we’re committed to helping our patients get the tooth replacements they need to avoid these concerns. Whether it’s dentures, dental bridges, or implants, our team can provide you with the right tooth replacement for your dental needs. To schedule an appointment and learn more about how a visit to the best dentist in midtown Manhattan can help you replace missing teeth in a timely manner, contact us today.