It may seem ok to leave your missing tooth alone if you can’t really see it when you smile, but leaving a gap in your teeth can start a chain reaction of dental problems. Did you know that when you lose a tooth, your entire bite could change?
Have you ever pulled a book out of a bookshelf and all of the other books tipped inward or to one side? The same thing happens when you lose a tooth. All of your other teeth begin moving in order to close in that gap. That may not seem like a big deal except that your teeth may no longer fit together properly when you bite down.
When your teeth do not fit together properly, you can start to have sensitivity and pain because on tooth is hitting harder than all of the others. Ultimately, it may cause severe jaw problems because your jaw will continuously try to find a comfortable position. When you have jaw joint problems, you can experience clicking, popping, and even locking of your jaw. These problems can cause significant pain.
When you get a dental bridge, we fill in the gap in your teeth and it acts as a space holder for your missing tooth. While bridges do not prevent bone loss, they can help maintain the integrity of your bite.