Before

After

Recently lost tooth.	After a few years the teeth drift and food traps. Decay and gum disease develops and further tooth loss.

If you don't replace missing teeth then expect some or all of the following complications:

1. Nearby and opposing upper or lower teeth will move up or down and tip into the space caused by the lost tooth.

2. Decay and gum disease develops around the nearby and opposing teeth as plaque and food readily gets trapped.

3. The remaining teeth are placed under more pressure and usually become more sensitive or begin to chip, wear or fracture.

4. The above three problems can then lead to further tooth loss of several more teeth over time.

5. You cannot enjoy, chew and digest your food properly.

6. Your jaw bones slowly recede. This causes your lips and face to become sunken and you may look older.

7. Your speech can be altered or a lisp may develop.

8. The changing bite pattern can then can lead to disharmony of the jaw joints resulting in pain near the ears, clicking jaw joints and headache.

Porcelain Bridges or Implants are the ultimate solution to replace missing teeth. Alternatively if you are missing many teeth you may need to consider a partial or full Denture or combination of the above.