Throughout the course of a lifetime, you may lose a tooth for many reasons ranging from tooth decay, gum disease, and even accidents. While losing just one tooth may seem unimportant to some.  Did you know that a single tooth loss can actually start a chain reaction in the mouth?

The loss of a single tooth can negatively change your eating habits, speech and appearance. When a tooth in the back of the mouth is lost, it can also lead to numerous problems such as affecting your ability to chew food well and to properly clean your teeth. Losing a tooth also can compromise the health of your remaining teeth and can lead to many other detrimental effects. This is why it’s a good idea to consider replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant or other dental restorations.

 Effects of Tooth Loss Over Time

How your teeth fit together affects your ability to chew and bite efficiently. It also affects the manner in which your upper and lower jawbone aligns with one other. When the jaws are misaligned, the results in the long run can not only be uncomfortable but it can also be detrimental to your overall health.

While it may seem that losing just one tooth won’t have any serious affect on the rest of your mouth, the truth is that single tooth loss can lead to many different problems down the road. These problems may include:

When you’ve lost a single tooth, it’s highly advisable that you replace that tooth. By replacing the missing tooth, your other teeth will remain properly aligned which will prevent many of the above problems from happening. Right now, the best option for replacing a missing tooth is a dental implant.