will explain the domino effect a missing tooth can have on your entire smile and how dental implants can help.

Teeth Are Placeholders

Did you know that each of your teeth rely on surrounding teeth to keep them in place? That’s why can create a problem for your back molars and the void from a missing tooth can leave other teeth vulnerable. Without a missing tooth, other teeth may drift out of place from speech patterns, eating habits, and other subtle influences.

Missing Teeth Can Lead to Maloclussion

When teeth are out of alignment, it creates bigger problems for your whole mouth. A misaligned bite can cause problems for your teeth by contributing to bruxism, or chronic teeth grinding. Malocclusion, or misaligned bite, is one of the main reasons for bruxism. This harmful dental condition results in symptoms like excessive tooth wear, headaches, .

Teeth Keep Your Jaw Healthy

Missing teeth also have some less known but serious implications for your total health. Without chewing stimulation from tooth roots, your jawbone will slowly deteriorate. This occurs because the nerves no longer send signals to the brain that the section of jawbone needs nourishment. Therefore, over time, the jawbone will begin to shrink.

Dental Implants in Riverside

If you want to avoid the ravages of tooth loss, our Riverside dentists recommend dental implants. Stay tuned next week to learn how these dental restorations can prevent many of the symptoms of missing teeth while restoring your image. For more information about the services we offer, or to reserve an appointment at Dental Associates of Riverside, call (951) 369-1001.