The Dangers of Gaps in Your Teeth

Some people may think that gaps in the teeth are attractive. There are even some celebrities who have famous gaps, like Madonna. But gaps in your teeth are not good and should not be ignored. Here are some of the dangers of not taking care of gaps in your teeth.

Adjacent Teeth Can Shift

Teeth are like placeholders. Each tooth holds a certain position and even helps support neighboring teeth. When you have a gap in your teeth, the abutting teeth may start to lean or turn sideways over time. While this may seem good at first because they are closing the gap, in reality, what’s happening is that teeth are shifting unnaturally.

Opposite Teeth May Loosen

Your upper and lower teeth are intended to meet along the sides and back. But if you have a missing tooth that is creating a gap, that means that the opposite tooth has no opposing pressure. Over time, this can lead to bone loss and/or a loosening of the tooth with no opposing tooth.

Your Bite May Change

If you have a missing tooth or a large gap in an area of your mouth where you chew food, such as your molar, your bite may change. You will probably start to favor chewing on one side of your mouth, which will change the way your bite. It also puts more load on the other side of your mouth, which causes your teeth to wear down unevenly. All this can lead to more complicated dental problems; just because of a simple gap in your teeth.

Your Jaw Shape May Change

If you lose one tooth and just leave the resulting gap untreated, you may lose more teeth. Eventually, the shape of your jaw will be affected which will ultimately alter your facial appearance.

You should never ignore a gap in your teeth. Instead, talk to your dentist in Reseda about treatments for the gap. Your dentist may be able to fix the gap with dental appliances or your dentist may suggest a bridge or another solution. Whatever you decide, just make sure that you get the gap taken care of. To learn more about available dental treatments for gaps in the teeth, book an appointment with Canby Dental today.