Missing and decayed teeth are pretty common. The average Australian adult has between four and eleven teeth damaged or completely gone. For those with one or more missing teeth, you should recognize the problems caused when you elect not to replace them. When you lose a tooth or have it extracted in Port Macquarie, the space it once occupied in your jaw is called an empty socket. This leftover space is the epicentre of what happens if you don’t replace a missing tooth. Empty Sockets Endanger Bone and Gum Health Because it takes a while for your socket to heal, it can become a place where plaque-causing bacteria can accumulate, away from the cleansing effects of your toothbrush. That bacteria may proliferate and colonize nearby gum tissue, accelerating the effects of periodontal disease. Your empty socket also impacts your jawbone health because chewing pressure conducted via an intact tooth stimulates bone growth. So while the bone tissue within the socket will eventually regenerate, the lack of pressure will allow your bone density to decrease. As a result, after years, your jawbone may become more slender and prone to fracture. Adjoining Teeth Placed under Extra Stress Your teeth work best as a team, each performing a specific task. So if a teammate goes missing, its neighbours are forced to pick up the slack. While you may overlook the impact on your other teeth in the short term, the accumulated stresses can build up over time. We see this, especially with molar and premolar teeth, which do the lion’s share of the work to grind up food. These added stresses may lead to tooth fractures or uneven wear, but the most severe consequence is that your adjoining teeth may shift towards the gap. Remaining Teeth Shift into Missing Tooth Space The most significant threat a missing tooth is to its neighbours is how they naturally will shift into the space. This process may take several years to notice, but the impacts are widespread when it happens. First, your entire bite may become misaligned, harming your jaw joint and leading to painful TMJ disorders and further tooth decay. Next, loosening and shifting teeth are themselves candidates for loss. Missing teeth ultimately lead to more missing teeth, a cascade of oral health problems that hurts your entire smile. But by replacing missing teeth with Port Pacific Dental, you can simultaneously avoid these pitfalls and enjoy an intact smile.