You’ve lost a permanent tooth. Losing a tooth is never a fun experience, and having a gap in your smile can be embarrassing and troublesome. If you’re thinking about either not replacing the tooth or putting it off until later, there are a few things to consider.
Address Why It Happened
First things first: How did you lose the tooth? If you knocked it out after a fall or some similar trauma, you should absolutely schedule an appointment with us in Scripps Ranch. We’ll ensure you haven’t damaged your other teeth, gums or tongue in the process.
However, a few more serious ailments can lead to a tooth falling out. Periodontal disease, diabetes, poor oral hygiene and a few other factors can lead to the loss of a tooth. If you have one of these ailments, there’s no question about it: You should see a dentist.
The Impact of a Lost Tooth
A lost tooth, unfortunately, is never just a lost tooth. It can have major impacts on your oral health, which can lead to major impacts on your overall health. Thanks to advances in science and dentistry, we know there are many, many links between your oral and overall health, and poor oral health can have an impact on your mental health, heart, brain, and more.
If left untreated, periodontal disease, or gum disease, can lead to the loss of even more teeth, and can deteriorate the bone mass in your jaw. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pregnancy complications and more, so you certainly don’t want to let it go untreated. Luckily, here at Oasis Dental Arts, Dr. Ramin Goshtasbi treats periodontal disease. Treatment can vary from simply changing your at-home oral hygiene routine to laser dentistry, which is a deep clean between your teeth and gums.
Bone loss unrelated to gum disease is another risk factor. If you’ve lost a tooth, a part of your jaw is no longer receiving stimulation. This, too, leads to jawbone deterioration.
Of course, there isn’t really a “good” tooth to lose. If you lose a molar, it can impact your ability to eat certain foods. You’ll have to chew hard foods on one side of your mouth which, again, can lead to understimulation of certain parts of your jawbone. If you lose a front tooth, however, it can negatively impact self-esteem. With a visible gap, your lost tooth will always be in the back of your mind when you smile or laugh, which isn’t good for your mental health, either. Losing certain teeth can even impact the way you talk; you might develop a lisp or lose the ability to pronounce certain words.
And no matter where you lost a tooth, your other teeth can begin to drift into the space left open. This can make your teeth crooked, which can contribute to the loss of more teeth. Crooked teeth are harder to clean, which can contribute to the risk of gum disease. And teeth can be more vulnerable to chipping and cracking when they don’t have their neighbors to support them.
Get Your Mouth Right Again
If you’ve lost a tooth and feel you don’t need to replace it, or if you feel you’re ready to replace a tooth that’s been missing for a while, cosmetic dentist Dr. Ramin Goshtasbi in Scripps Ranch can help. Dr. Goshtasbi can offer guidance on how to clean the area and stimulate the jaw in order to prevent further damage.
On the other hand, if you’re ready to fill the gap in your smile, Dr. Goshtasbi offers a few options including dental implants. Dental implants are easy to install, look natural and can be treated just like your natural teeth.
To schedule an appointment about a lost tooth or dental implants with Oasis Dental Arts in Scripps Ranch, please call (858) 271-1010 today.