Dental restoration is something you can avoid whenever you lose a permanent tooth. No matter how you lost your teeth, they must be replaced with artificial teeth as soon as possible. A lot of family dentists in Burlington, Ontario, say that getting teeth replacements is more than just an aesthetic reason.  Ignoring missing teeth can lead to different oral and even overall health issues. Although some missing teeth are not visible, they create a loss of function that is quite destructive. 

Reasons You Need All of Your Teeth

A lack of teeth can impact the function of your jaw, create malocclusion, and impact your everyday diet. Teeth gaps let your neighboring teeth shift into the gap. If your teeth are not in the proper position, you can experience bite issues, jaw stress, and irregular teeth wear. 

Teeth that shift toward the open space created by the missing teeth can make it more difficult to get rid of food particles that can get stuck between your teeth. As a result, bacteria can develop and can eat away at the enamel of your teeth, resulting in more tooth loss and gum disease. 

In addition, teeth gaps affect the way you eat and chew. If you cannot eat and digest foods properly, you will have limited menu options and can suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Lastly, missing teeth can make your remaining teeth more crooked due to the shifting movement. In turn, this can lead to dental hygiene problems while your teeth crowd into each other. 

Treatments for Missing Teeth

Your dentist can offer different options to replace your missing teeth. The following dental services can transform your smile:

• Dental implants. If you are missing one tooth, you can easily restore it with an implant. A dental implant is surgically inserted into your jawbone, functioning and looking like a natural tooth. 
• Dentures. Dentures are available in a lot of configurations. Your dentist can make dentures that look like your natural teeth and fit your gums snugly. You can choose between partial and complete dentures depending on how many teeth are you missing.
• Dental bridges. If you have lost many teeth in a row, your dentist can offer custom-made prosthetic teeth for filling the gaps. They will hook your teeth together and put a post at one end of the dental bridge. This post is placed into the jaw, offering structure and support that your missing teeth may have been damaged and compromised.