To restore your self-confidence: It may affect your mental health. If you’ve ever had a missing tooth (and we all have at some point!) you may remember how difficult it can be to chew with a hole in your smile. While this discomfort may be ignorable for a while, it can grow irritating after a time. And missing a tooth may be fun while you are a kid, not so much as an adult. Some people may find that the missing tooth affects their speech patterns, which can lead to a loss in self-confidence.
Prevent opposing teeth from over erupting.
Avoid shifting of teeth: When every tooth is in your mouth, neatly in a row, they can keep each other lined up and stable. If you’re missing a tooth, however, you risk the possibility of teeth shifting. Teeth can drift out of place, leading to a change in your bite, potential gum disease, and possible tooth decay.
Prevent bone loss: When you lose teeth, it disturbs the interplay between teeth and bone. Gum and bone are no longer stimulated well enough due to the missing teeth, so the jaw bone starts shrinking and your gum pulls back increasing the risk of gum disease. This can weaken neighboring teeth until they collapse
Effects on your appearance: Missing teeth and a reduced jaw bone can make your face look older and wrinkly, and for your cheeks to become hollow and saggy, because they can no longer fully stabilize your lips and cheeks from the inside.
TMJ disorder: The muscles on the side of your head that help you chew and rotate your jaw are called temporomandibular joints, or TMJ. Changes to these muscles and the system they are connected to can result in a lot of physical pain. One change that can lead to TMJ disorder is the loss of a tooth and failure to replace it.
