Missing teeth – why they can be dangerous
Missing teeth are a problem. An aesthetic one - especially when it concerns the front teeth, and a health one, when the lack of teeth causes numerous dysfunctions such as malocclusion or chewing disorders. In both cases, a deficiency in dentition can negatively affect the functioning of the entire organism. Headaches, overloading of other teeth, functional disorders of the mandible and maxilla, and bone loss in the socket are just a few possible reactions of the body caused by the loss of a tooth or teeth.
Godon's effect
The problem begins with the loss of even a single tooth. In such cases, we deal with the so-called Godon's effect. This is a phenomenon where the teeth adjacent to the gap left by an extracted tooth begin to gradually tilt towards the space. This happens because the teeth surrounding the gap in the dental arch no longer have support and, due to bone loss in the socket among other things, they shift towards the "free" space. It is as if one or two palings were removed from a tightly fitting fence - its entire structure is disrupted, with the most visible effect being right next to the missing element.
Functional disorders of the mandible and maxilla
Another symptom of the Godon effect is the extrusion of the tooth opposing the extracted one. For example, if we have lost one of the lower teeth in the mandible, its counterpart in the maxilla will have no support and will automatically extrude downwards. As a result, the entire structure of the crown line of the remaining teeth will be disrupted, which can contribute to the development of a malocclusion.
Conservative treatment
Such dysfunction can also have a serious impact on the process of conservative treatment. When a tooth has changed its natural position and a dentist places a filling (plaque) in it, there is a probability that due to improper friction and position in relation to other teeth, this filling will have a much shorter lifespan than a filling placed in a proper, healthy dental system.
Tooth overload
As it turns out, the longer the gap remains after a tooth extraction, the worse it is for the entire craniofacial structure. Just a few months after an extraction, one can see changes (for example, on panoramic X-rays) indicating the overloading of other teeth, their shifting, and the onset of processes that could lead to occlusal disorders in the future.
Bone loss in the tooth socket
Long-term absence of teeth causes atrophy of the alveolar bone. This means that if we significantly delay the placement of a new artificial tooth in the area of the missing tooth, the later it happens (we are talking more about years than days or months), the more we expose ourselves to the need for bone reconstruction in that area. In extreme cases, when a patient has lost most of their teeth, placing implants is very difficult and it is often necessary to make a complete denture.
Statistics
At the very end, it is worth recalling a very infamous statistic. According to data from the Medical University of Warsaw, the average Pole over the age of 35 is missing as many as 11 out of 32 teeth. From a study conducted two years ago by GSK Consumer Healthcare, we learn that more than half of our compatriots over the age of 40 wear dentures, and half of people over 65 are already completely toothless…
Therefore, it is crucial to have a plan for their reconstruction as soon as the decision to extract a tooth or teeth is made. At the Luxdentica Dental Center in Krakow, we extract patients' teeth only when there is no chance of successful treatment using other methods. At Luxdentica, we structurally plan tooth reconstruction in such a way that the process of restoring full functionality and aesthetics is as short and minimally invasive as possible. We offer various ways of implementing new, artificial teeth depending on the individual condition of the dentition, needs, as well as the possibilities and predispositions of the Patient. We provide a comprehensive treatment methodology, present a plan, financing terms, and offer 24/7 support in the form of an individual Patient Coordinator. We explain, clarify, and help in making the optimal decision.
