1. Gum and jawbone deterioration 

Our teeth help to maintain the health of the gum and jawbone tissue. The roots of the tooth helps to stimulate the jawbone. If you lose a tooth, the gum and jawbone tissue will start to resorb, resulting in bone loss which is irreversible and permanent. 

2. Shifting of other teeth 

Our teeth develop in a supportive manner to each other. When you lose one tooth, the remaining teeth will shift and move from their original position. This can result in gum disease and tooth decay as the teeth is harder to be cleaned due to the misalignment of the teeth. 

3. Increased the risk of tooth decay 

Due to shifting of other teeth, the teeth will tilt and become harder to be cleaned, resulting tooth decay. 

4. Difficult in chewing and speaking 

Missing teeth can make chewing and eating solid food difficult due to the open gap on the opposing tooth. Malnutrition can develop because of difficulty in eating nutritious food such as fruits and vegetable. Our teeth, tongue and mouth work together to produce sounds and words as we speak. Missing teeth can affect our pronunciation. 

Five options to replace missing tooth

1.  Dental Implants 

The most common way to replace missing tooth is dental implants. It is a very reliable type of tooth replacement because it feels like a real tooth. It is a permanent solution if you want to replace one missing tooth or even multiple teeth in different areas of your mouth. Find more about dental implants.

2. Tooth- supported bridge 

Tooth-supported bridge uses your existing teeth to support the placement of the bridge. 

      Pros:

•  Cheaper option compared to dental implants
• No surgery is required. Less invasive. 
• Provides same realistic look as dental implant. 

Cons: 

• Highly dependent on the health of the adjacent teeth. 
• Risks of decay and bone loss on the adjacent teeth due to difficulty in cleaning the food particle underneath the bridge. 

3. Removable partial dentures 

It is made up of acrylic ( pink plastic) and false tooth ( white plastic). It the simplest and cheapest option of replacing missing tooth. 

Pros: 

• Cheapest 
• Additional tooth can be added if there is tooth missing in future 
• Easily repaired and repaired if needed 

Cons: 

• Uncomfortable to wear 
• Risk of gum irritation
• Has to be removed to be cleaned every day 
• Does not provide ideal chewing function as dental implant