According to the American College of Prosthodontists, approximately 178 million American citizens are missing at least one tooth and more than 35 million do not have any teeth at all. Tooth replacement is essential not only for the sake of your appearance—although that is certainly an important factor—but also to ensure your oral, general and emotional well-being. With removable dentures, West Orange and Caldwell residents can restore a natural-looking smile.
The Consequences of Missing Teeth
Let’s start with the most obvious consequence—even if you are missing only one tooth, there is still a visible hole in your smile. For some, this is so embarrassing that they either smile with their lips closed, don’t smile at all or use their hands to cover their mouth when they do smile.
Then there are the other oral health problems than can happen as a result of missing teeth. Tooth loss increases your risk of cavities, gum disease and even more missing teeth. In addition, teeth that are adjacent to the gap in your smile may shift to fill the space; consequently your bite may be impacted, which can lead to symptoms of TMJ. Finally, missing teeth can make eating certain foods difficult, so your diet may not be fully nutritious.