Sedation Clinics
If one of your teeth is knocked out, you’ll only have a short amount of time to have it replanted by an emergency dentist in Lexington; otherwise it’ll need to be replaced by a dental implant or another kind of restoration. But sometimes you might think, “Why bother? It’s one missing tooth; surely I can just live without it and save some money.” Do not make this mistake. Failing to refill a gap in your smile can lead to these 4 serious dental consequences.
1. The Jawbone Starts to Break Down
Your jawbone needs the stimulation your teeth provide it while chewing to stay healthy and strong, much like how you need to exercise to keep your muscles in shape. A missing tooth means that that part of the bone won’t be stimulated anymore and will start to deteriorate.
Because the jawbone and teeth play an important role in maintaining the shape and structure of your face, bone loss in the jaw will eventually cause the skin around your lips to become wrinkled. You’ll start to look much older as a result.
2. Teeth Start to Shift
You might think your teeth are rooted firmly in place, but they can move over time for any number of reasons. When one tooth is missing, the empty space it leaves behind gives adjacent teeth plenty of room to shift. As they move into the gap, they’ll also create space for your other teeth to move as well. Given enough time, your entire bite could be badly affected.
An irregular bite can cause all sorts of problems. You might suffer from headaches, muscle pains, accelerated wearing of the teeth, TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder, which can cause jaw pain), and even further tooth loss.
3. Chewing Issues
Depending on which tooth is missing, you might find it more difficult to eat certain foods. For example, a lack of front teeth can make it harder to break off bites from an apple; on the other hand, losing your back teeth affects your ability to grind up meats and other foods. If you don’t chew properly, it could affect your digestion and cause acid reflux, a condition that can lead to heartburn and other issues.
4. Speech Problems
You need your teeth in order to pronounce certain words properly. If they’re missing (or if they’re spaced too far apart), you might slur, whistle or spit while talking.
See your dentist in Lexington right away if you end up losing a permanent tooth; they’ll save it when possible, but in other cases, they might recommend implants, dentures, or another kind of replacement. Act quickly so that you can continue to enjoy life with a fully-functional grin!
About the Practice
At Dental Wellness of Lexington, Drs. Anthony Feck, Maxie Combs and Carol Wilson are some of the area’s leading dentists for sedation dentistry that keeps patients calm throughout their visits. This is especially important during an emergency situation such as a lost tooth. To schedule an appointment, visit their website or call (859) 223-4644.