For tooth loss, especially if it isn’t very visible during smiling, some people get used to it very quickly. But the missing tooth, or the gap it leaves behind, eventually becomes a problem for the other teeth.
In addition to aesthetic problems, bone loss can occur in the area where the tooth is missing. “A missing tooth can also cause functional problems, even if you’re chewing,” explains Dr. Libor Michna, MSc., from the ArtDentistic dental clinic in Bratislava. The surrounding teeth also tend to drift into the gap, and in the worst case, there’s a risk of collapse of the dental arch.
“For years, my lower molar was missing,” says 45-year-old Beata from Bratislava. “Even though I don’t have any lower teeth missing, I had a pretty decent gap on the right between my premolar and my seventh tooth. I got used to it. After some time, however, my dentist warned me that in my upper jaw my molar started to move outward against the opposing lower molar. It lacked an opposing bite pressure. He told me that if I didn’t decide to do something about it, over time I’d lose the upper tooth as well. And that’s how I decided on an implant...”
The full article is available at: https:\/\/zdravie.pravda.sk\/zdrava-krasa\/clanok\/410012-zubne-implantaty-umenie-v-ustach\/<\/t1>
