Beyond the cosmetic disadvantages, missing teeth can also be bad news for your oral health. The space left by a lost tooth can cause adjacent teeth to fall into the gap.
The teeth on the opposing jaw may also be inclined to drift into the space. This slow drifting into the gap where the tooth needs to be replaced can cause bite problems if left untreated.
If the surrounding bone collapses into the socket which is left exposed due to a missing tooth, this can result in a resorption of the bone in your jaw. This resorption affects the overlying gum and causes it to shrink.
The gum on the adjacent teeth can also shrink back causing black triangles to appear either side of the gap. Due to a reduction in bone and gum in the area where the tooth was removed, the aesthetics of your teeth and smile are compromised.
In time, this loss of bone means that future dental implants are either impossible to place or more costly as additional bone grafting may be required. We recommend considering dental implants immediately after the loss of any teeth.