Consequences of Not Replacing Your Back Tooth Missing a tooth, even just one, can cause severe and permanent damage to your entire mouth. When you lose a back molar, its surrounding teeth are also impacted because they lose surrounding structure and support. Unfortunately, this causes your other back teeth to shift.
It would be best to replace missing teeth as soon as possible to prevent tooth shifting. However, if you have a tooth extracted, it is advised to wait four to six months to have the tooth replaced. All in all, this interval gives your gums time to heal before performing another operation.
When one tooth is missing, the surrounding teeth have nothing to lean on and will tilt toward the open space. This leads to crooked teeth that are harder to clean properly and can result in tooth decay or further tooth loss.
More Serious Health Issues – The longer you wait to replace a missing tooth, the greater your risk for getting gum disease, which studies show can lead more serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and even cancer.
But when you don't replace a tooth that's missing, you can significantly increase your risks of developing more serious problems in the future, including additional tooth loss that can impair the way you eat and talk. If you're missing a tooth, here's why it's so very important to invest in a good replacement.
When there's a gap in your teeth because of a missing tooth, there's space for bacteria, tartar, and plaque to get into your gum line. This puts you at greater risk of gum disease. Once gum disease sets in, you're at greater risk for some serious medical conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
A single missing tooth can contribute to many other problems with your oral health including a misaligned bite that can lead to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ Disorder), headaches, and even migraines.
Dentures
Dentures are low cost way and cheaper alternative for replacing missing teeth. Dental bridges can be more expensive because in order to replace one tooth you effectively need to pay for three, two abutment teeth (one either side of the gap) and the new pontic (replacement tooth) in the middle.
Researchers estimate that as many as 20 percent of adults are born with at least one missing tooth, making hypodontia one of the most common developmental oral health conditions. Most individuals are missing only one or two permanent teeth, with very few missing more than six.
Implants. An implant is usually the preferred option for replacing a single tooth. Placing an implant requires careful preparation to assess the amount of bone where the implant will be placed to make sure that there will be adequate support for the implanted tooth.
Approximately 5% of individuals lack one or more of their premolars or teeth near the front teeth. Congenitally missing teeth is a genetic trait that is inherited. Some environmental factors may also play a role. In some cases, teeth may develop with a misshapen look if they develop.
Tooth decay, gum disease, and injury are common causes of missing teeth. Some people are born without certain teeth, and this condition is called congenitally missing teeth. Genetic factors cause congenitally missing teeth and this condition is often seen in generations of a family.
The most common congenitally missing teeth are wisdom teeth, upper lateral incisors, and the second premolars(source).
Dental crowns, sometimes called dental caps, serve many purposes in dentistry. They can enhance the look of a misshapen tooth, protect a tooth after a root canal, or strengthen a tooth with a large filling. Dental crowns can even replace a missing tooth.
One common method for patients awaiting dental implants is to use a removable retainer with a temporary tooth. This retainer snaps over the existing teeth and will cover the gap left by the missing tooth.
If only a small piece of your tooth broke off, your dental professional might be able to protect the remainder of the tooth with a crown or filling. If the fracture is severe, endodontic surgery may be required to remove the fractured portion to protect the pulp and the tooth.
2.2% of adults 20 to 64 years have no remaining teeth. Older adults, current smokers, and those with lower incomes and less education are more likely to have no remaining teeth.
Any number of missing teeth can cause serious oral and overall health issues. Ultimately, tooth loss begets more tooth loss. So, if you have just one missing tooth, it's very likely that more will follow if it isn't replaced.
Around 50% of the population is missing at least 1 tooth, or around 178 million Americans. And 40 million Americans are missing all of their teeth.
The CDC also reports that 7% of Americans have lost at least one permanent tooth to decay by the time they reach their 17th birthday. The older you get, the worse the statistics become. The number increases to 69% when you get to the age group of 35 to 44. Keep in mind, this is about tooth loss due to decay.
edentulous • \ee-DEN-chuh-luss\ • adjective. : having no teeth : toothless.
People with hypodontia are born with missing teeth.
Greater Risk for Health Issues – The longer you wait to replace a missing tooth, the greater your risk for getting gum disease. And gum disease is the culprit that can lead to many other serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and even cancer.
Tooth loss affects overall health and quality of life
Teeth play an important role in speech, eating ability, facial appearance and quality of life. Losing a tooth can cause surrounding teeth to shift and bacteria to accumulate under the gum line, resulting in further gum disease and loss of bone and tissue.