What’s the impact of missing teeth?
In some cases, there may be little-to-no impact. Depending on the location of a missing tooth, you may not really notice a gap in your mouth. This might be the case if you’re missing a tooth in the back or side of your mouth.
But your teeth are designed to work together, so missing one or more teeth can sometimes impact speech, eating, and over time cause other problems.
If it becomes harder or uncomfortable to chew your food, it may lead to only eating on one side of your mouth or having to eat at a much slower pace. This can affect your jaw and facial muscles.
Missing teeth can change the shape of your face, as it can cause your mouth to shift.
Also, your bite might change to make up or compensate for lost teeth, and the remaining teeth may shift and move given the extra room. This can cause other issues such as tooth sensitivity, tooth grinding, and difficulty chewing.