LAST week we talked about a severe form of gum disease known as periodontitis which can lead to shaking teeth and eventually their loss if treatment is not undertaken.
Today we discuss the consequences of tooth loss and options available for replacement of missing teeth.
When we think of our teeth we tend to think of them as individuals, however, they exist as a community  each offering support and strength to its neighbours the human dention is composed of a complete set of 32 teeth, six anterior front teeth and 10 posterior back teeth on each jaw.
The anterior teeth canines and incisors are used for cutting and tearing food, and the posterior teeth the premolars and molars are used for grinding and chewing.
Teeth not only perform the above function but also add to facial beauty, the posterior teeth support the vertical height of the face, if they are lost we lose face height, this is called “posterior bite collapse”.
Teeth also aid in proper pronunciation of words.
When we lose a tooth or teeth, the remaining teeth begin to move over a period of time, they tilt, drift and elongate to occupy space previously occupied by lost tooth or teeth.
This tilting, drifting and elongation of teeth results in wrongly positioned teeth, and this in turn results in inaccessible areas during tooth brushing and an increase in plaque retention, as we mentioned last week plaque is the number one culprit for cavities and gum disease.
Tilting, drifting and elongation of teeth, also causes discrepancies in the way teeth meet in the mouth, termed as occlusion, one develops what is termed as occlusal disharmony, this causes undue stress on the Temporal Mandibula joint, (the joint that connects lower jaw to the upper jaw and rest of skull, and can be felt right in front of your ear opening), one then begins to experience pain at that site. Furthermore eating becomes a challenge.
Loss of teeth also results in loss of thickness and density of the jaw bone. The thickness and density of the jaw bone plays a role in our facial appearance with its loss, facial features are altered and chewing force reduced.
All these changes that occur due to tooth loss have implications on facial appearance and function.
Facial appearance begin to change as the height of the jaw decreases, wrinkles increase and the corners of the mouth droop.
Socially smiling, talking, singing, laughing and enjoying a nutritionally sound diet is affected and all this leads to both poor general and mental health.
When we have a complete set of teeth chewing provides optimal stress and exercise to the jaw bone hence maintaining its thickness and density.
With consequential loss of teeth due to gum disease, cavities, tumors or injury, optimal stresses applied to the bone are reduced.
Missing teeth isn’t not always attributed to a disease state or trauma having taken place, traditionally some Zambian tribes purposely remove all the upper front teeth, and to them it’s a sign of beauty.
Most people who have lost an anterior tooth or teeth would attest to the fact that they develop a sense of low esteem when it came to socialisation due to the unpleasant space previously occupied by tooth or teeth.
Options for tooth replacement include removable and fixed prosthesis. Removable prosthesis include partial dentures i.e. those that replace one or more teeth but not all teeth, a full denture is one made to replace all teeth missing in a jaw.
Fixed prosthesis includes bridges and implants. Bridges just as the word imply, is a prosthesis that uses adjacent teeth to help anchor a tooth or teeth to be replaced.
An implant is one that makes use of the jaw bone to support and anchor teeth to be replaced, it makes use of screws and pins inserted in jaw bone.
With the placement of prosthesis to replace the missing tooth or teeth the consequences of tooth loss are prevented and or reduced.
Thus next time you chose not to take action for a missing tooth, remember there are always consequences for loss of a tooth or teeth.
In ending is a dental joke that states God gave us two sets of teeth in a lifetime but for the third set of teeth we have to pay.
Till next time remember to brush your teeth atleast twice a day, floss atleast once a day and visit the dentist regularly.
Comments: nzamai@yahoo.co.uk