Have you ever seen the picture of the smiling person with a missing tooth in social media memes? The missing tooth is so glaring that you don't even notice that they are also missing an eyebrow, even though a shaved eyebrow seems, well, a little crazy!
This illustrates how important teeth are to your appearance. While how you look can impact your feelings about yourself, replacing missing teeth goes far beyond aesthetics. Your appearance and your smile's function are essential aspects of daily life, so let's dig into what missing teeth could mean for you.
Health Consequences of Missing Teeth
A gap in your smile might be something you feel you can put off, but we invite you to consider some consequences of leaving a missing tooth untreated.
Your other teeth will likely shift — Putting off that dental implant or bridge might mean there is insufficient room for tooth replacement since your remaining teeth will naturally tip toward the gap in your smile.
Dietary restriction — Do you love blue steak or crunchy veg? How about biting into a delicious, cold piece of fruit on a hot summer day? Missing teeth can make it challenging to eat your favourite meals, hindering one of the most enjoyable aspects of life—sharing food and laughter with loved ones. Not to mention, some of the healthiest foods available can be some of the most difficult to chew.
Malocclusion — Malocclusion is a fancy word for a bad bite. Missing teeth place additional forces on adjacent teeth, which may lead to worn, chipped or even fractured teeth in the future. Malocclusion can cause discomfort, jaw problems and additional dental issues.
Bone loss — Your jaw bone and teeth are relational. The forces of chewing stimulate the bone to keep it strong. When underlying or opposing bone no longer receives that stimulation, the bone can begin to resorb. Resorption is when bone diminishes, putting adjacent teeth at risk.
Replacing Missing Teeth in Katoomba, NSW
At Katoomba Dental Centre, we offer a wide range of dental implant options based on how many missing teeth you want to replace.
- Single dental implants — Single dental implants are a solution for one or more non-adjacent missing teeth.
- Implant-supported bridges — Bridges replace multiple adjacent missing teeth.
- Implant-supported dentures — Implant-supported dentures replace multiple missing teeth up to an entire arch of teeth.
- All-on-4® — The All-on-4 treatment concept is designed to replace an entire arch of teeth with dental implants and a low-profile arch of prosthetic teeth.
Non-Surgical Teeth Replacement
For patients who want or need a non-surgical way to replace missing teeth, we also offer traditional dental bridges, partial dentures and dentures in our Katoomba dental clinic to meet your needs.
The Role Your Smile Plays in How You Feel
Looks are definitely not everything, but how you feel about the way you look is so important to how you present yourself to the world. If your smile is holding you back from flashing your big grin during happy moments or from enjoying delicious delicacies at your local eatery, we are here to help you regain your confidence and increase your enjoyment in life.
Contact Katoomba Dental Centre to learn more about missing tooth replacement, book an overdue dental check-up and clean, or discuss our many cosmetic dentistry options designed to help you live your best life. You can reach us on (02) 4782 1507 to get started. Our compassionate and knowledgeable team are here to help you achieve your best smile.
