Missing teeth is more common than you might think. According to studies, around 69% of Americans are missing at least one tooth. Your risk for tooth loss increases as you age, especially if you don’t follow basic oral hygiene practices. More than 36 million Americans don’t have any teeth left. Many of these people still need the functionality and health benefits that teeth provide. Missing teeth lead to many problems that can be combated through receiving dental implants or dentures. Find out how we can help restore your smile if you have one or more missing teeth!
You only get two sets of teeth during your lifetime. The first set—the baby teeth—are meant to fall out eventually. This generally happens starting around age 6 or 7. The teeth that grow in are the permanent, adult teeth, and they are the ones you have to take care of the rest of your life. That puts the pressure on you to get through many decades with the same set of teeth even though you only had the first set for a few years. Luckily, your teeth are the hardest substance in your body. They are made up of about 96% pure mineral, which is why they are so hard.
Your teeth can stand up to 200 pounds of pressure when biting down (if they had to). However, despite how hard they are, they can still decay, erode and become weak over time. If you don’t care for your teeth properly, or if you get a mouth injury, you could find yourself missing a tooth.
Missing a tooth is starting to become normal in the United States, even though it shouldn’t be. Oral hygiene habits are getting worse in adults and children alike. In fact, the National Institutes of Health still reports that tooth decay is the “most prevalent chronic disease” in the nation.
You don’t have to get nervous if you are missing a tooth, as there are dental services that can restore your smile once more. However, we do recommend that you have a meticulous oral hygiene routine if you are missing one or more teeth. Many people lose a tooth because they aren’t brushing and flossing their teeth. If you don’t do these basics at least a few times a day, you will find yourself with tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and other oral health problems.
If you let poor hygiene continue, you will continue to lose teeth. You don’t want to simply live with missing a tooth, because it can cause you health problems. Some patients will see that when they are missing a tooth, and the opposing tooth grows longer to fill the gap. A missing tooth can also cause bone loss in your jaw. Your speech might change and your chewing ability will definitely be affected. Plus, your gums become weaker in the area where you are missing a tooth. That loss of support can cause surrounding teeth to fall out.
With your missing teeth, you have a few options for getting your smile back:
If you are missing a tooth, don’t let another day go by! Restore your smile and avoid more oral health problems by getting your tooth restored. Call Family & Cosmetic Dentistry of the Rockies today at (970) 267-0993 for your free consultation and get started on getting your smile back!