8 surprising problems because of missing teeth

If you are missing one or more teeth, then you are not alone. The American Dental Association has published figures that show the average adult between the ages of 20 and 64 have as many as three missing teeth. Many try to ignore the fact they have a missing tooth, dismissing it as a mere cosmetic problem. Depending on the location of your missing tooth or teeth though, may mean that you miss out on biting into a crispy apple or chewing on a delicious steak. And these are just the issues that may come to mind at first. There are in fact several different problems that may come about because of a missing tooth. You may be surprised to learn about them as you read on.  

8 SURPRISING PROBLEMS 

The most common reasons you might be missing teeth are because of trauma, decay or gum disease or poor nutrition. Regardless of the way we may have lost teeth the results can affect us physically and psychologically. The problems may include: 

• Problems Eating – Teeth are essential for biting and chewing our food. Without them crispy or chewy foods become difficult to eat. In turn, we may change our diet and miss out on valuable nutritious food.  
• Spreading Teeth – Missing teeth give room for the existing teeth to spread. They may spread away from other teeth or move closer to other teeth. Both can cause problems. Firstly it could create a painful bite misalignment as the teeth do not bite down like they did before. Spread apart and there could be a gap, closer together and it will make flossing more difficult. This then could lead to decay and further tooth loss. 
• Affected Speech – We use our teeth to make a wide range of sounds. Without them we may sound different. Being aware of this can make us self-conscious when we speak and perhaps embarrass us or lower our confidence levels. 
• Lower Bone Density – Our teeth keep our jaw bone strong as we eat and chew on our food. When we are missing a tooth or teeth the reduced pressure can leave the jawbone weaker and reduce in size. Our faces begin to change shape giving an aged appearance.  
• Ageing looks – It’s not just bone structure that brings on ageing looks. Less teeth also affect the structure of our face and skin begins to appear sagging. 
• Mental Health Problems – Anxiety and depression seem to be linked with missing teeth. 
• Lower Confidence Levels – One research study showed that 23% of those with missing teeth are too embarrassed to smile. 
• Unsuccessful job interviews – The same study also looked at how it affects other areas of life and they found that over a quarter of people with missing teeth felt this affected their chances of getting a job.
  

HOW TO FIX YOUR MISSING TEETH PROBLEMS
At Bay Area OSM, the oral surgeons highly recommend dental implants as the best tooth replacement option. You can replace one tooth or even the whole set with dental implants. There are many more advantages over other tooth replacement options. They are strong, stable and considered permanent. Their design imitates the appearance and function of natural teeth so you could say goodbye to the above problems if you choose dental implants.

Contact the office at Bay Area OSM today to see if dental implants are right for you.