If you don’t replace missing teeth, your face may become distorted. The sequelae of missing teeth are scary.

[NOW Health Media Yang Gefei/Taoyuan Report] 2015.03.04

　　If you don’t replace missing teeth, you may have a crooked or oversized face! Dentists point out that the common causes of tooth loss include tooth decay leading to tooth decay, and periodontal disease causing tooth foundation damage and shaking. Eventually, the tooth will fall out or must be extracted. Many people do not repair missing teeth, and over time, their faces tend to become tilted to one side.

　　Dr. Liang Jiayuan, director of the Dental Implant Center at Zhongli Contemporary Dental Clinic in Taoyuan, explained that the side of the missing tooth is inconvenient for chewing. If the patient is used to using only the teeth on the other side for a long time, the chewing muscles on one side will be particularly developed, resulting in a large face. Just like a right-handed person, the right arm muscles will be larger than those of the left hand.

　　As far as the intraoral bite structure is concerned, if missing teeth are not treated, the adjacent teeth will fall without support, the back teeth will tilt forward, the front teeth will tilt backward, and the upper teeth will fall down. The space for missing teeth will become smaller and smaller, and it will become increasingly difficult to reconstruct in the future. To reconstruct, partial correction must be done first to push back the fallen teeth. In addition, long-term tooth loss will also cause the alveolar bone to shrink, making reconstruction more difficult.

　　In other words, the longer the missing teeth last, the wider the scope of future treatment will be and the methods will become more complicated.

　　Since the sequelae of missing teeth are so serious, why do many patients put off treatment? Dr. Liang Jiayuan believes that there are many reasons. One of them is that although one side of the tooth is missing, the other side can be used to bite, and it will not have a huge impact or inconvenience on life in the short term, so treatment is not urgent. Secondly, there is the issue of cost. Dental implants are expensive. Finally, there may be psychological reasons for fear of seeing a dentist.

　　People with dental phobia will feel that going to the dentist with missing teeth is a very scary thing. Some people are afraid of approaching the dental clinic, and some are afraid of hearing the sound of the dental drill and refuse to receive treatment. Fortunately, advances in dental treatment technology can help patients overcome the psychological barriers to visiting the dentist. For example, the use of sedative and soothing methods allows patients to receive treatment in a relaxed state.

　　Traditional treatment for missing teeth requires grinding down the adjacent front and rear teeth and then installing a dental bridge. This is equivalent to losing two additional healthy teeth in order to fill one tooth. The grinding of healthy teeth actually wears away the protective enamel, which can easily lead to tooth decay in the future. It can also easily leave the sequelae of tooth nerve sensitivity and result in poor treatment satisfaction.

　　Dr. Liang Jiayuan pointed out that the ideal method for missing teeth is artificial dental implants. The advantage is that artificial root abutments can be implanted sequentially without damaging adjacent teeth, and then dentures can be installed to complete tooth reconstruction. The treatment satisfaction is far better than traditional dental bridge treatment.

　　However, before receiving artificial dental implants, an implant dentist must evaluate whether the patient's dental condition meets the conditions for dental implants. If the conditions are not suitable, remediation must be done first to make the condition of the alveolar bone meet the requirements of dental implants. Pre-surgery assessment for dental implants is very important. Precision instruments such as computerized 3D tomography and the rich experience of the dental implant surgeon are needed to determine whether tooth decay or periodontal disease treatment, local correction or bone repair procedures need to be performed first to keep the alveolar bone in a stable state before artificial dental implants can be placed.

　　Dr. Liang Jiayuan reminded that artificial dental implants are still surgical procedures, and high-risk groups such as the elderly and patients with systemic diseases should pay special attention. It is recommended that they be evaluated by a physician to stabilize their blood sugar and blood pressure, ensure normal coagulation function, and minimize risks before considering accepting it. Smokers are advised to quit smoking before dental implants to avoid lowering the success rate of artificial dental implants.