đš Bone Loss Begins IMMEDIATELY!"Most people donât realize that your jawbone needs stimulation from chewing to stay strong. The moment a tooth is lost, the bone in that area starts shrinkingâand get this, you can lose up to 25% of the bone width in just the first year (Atwood, 1979, Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry). That means the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to replace the tooth later!"
đš Your Other Teeth Start Moving!"Imagine a bookshelf with one missing bookâwhat happens? The other books start leaning! The same thing happens in your mouth. When a tooth is missing, the neighboring teeth start shifting into the empty space, which leads to misalignment, bite issues, and even TMJ problems!"đš Your Face Shape Changes!"Ever noticed how people with missing teeth sometimes have a âsunkenâ look? Thatâs because your jawbone supports your facial structure. When the bone shrinks, your cheeks and lips lose support, making you look olderâsometimes by 10 years or more (Carlsson, 1984)."The Health Risks of Missing Teeth
đ´ Increased Risk of Gum Disease"Did you know that having a missing tooth raises your risk of gum disease? The gap collects bacteria, which can spread to other teeth and cause serious infections. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to even more tooth lossâor worse, systemic health issues like heart disease and diabetes (Tonetti et al., 2017, Journal of Clinical Periodontology)."đ´ Speech Problems"Ever heard someone with missing teeth struggle to pronounce certain words? Thatâs because teeth play a big role in speech! Losing a toothâespecially in the frontâcan cause lisping or difficulty enunciating words properly."The Best Ways to Replace Missing Teeth
"If youâre not ready for an implant, a bridge can replace the missing tooth by attaching to the surrounding teeth. Itâs a great option but requires modifying the adjacent teeth."â Dentures â Quick Fix but Not Long-Term
"Dentures are...