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If you’ve lost a tooth, especially one that’s not visible to others when you speak or smile, you may be thinking that you can slide by without replacing it. Sure, it will feel weird for a while, but you’ll get used it — or will you? Not replacing a missing tooth can have serious physical and mental consequences. The replacement process is not as difficult as you might think and will pay off in the long run.

Physical Consequences of Not Replacing a Missing Tooth

Having a missing tooth can lead to long-term problems inside and outside your mouth.

Over time, the teeth next to the missing tooth will shift toward each other in an attempt to fill in the gap. This leads to a condition called malocclusion, which means the teeth are not aligned properly.

Malocclusion can cause serious problems like an overbite or crossbite that result in extra strain on the jaw, difficulty chewing, and even an increased risk for tooth decay. The treatment for this larger issue is braces or even surgery, which will likely end up being more expensive than a single tooth replacement would be.

The increase in tooth decay will also lead to problems with other teeth.

Missing teeth can result in not chewing your food properly (consciously or unconsciously). Not chewing your food properly can lead to digestive issues like acid reflux and malnutrition from nutrients not being absorbed properly in the digestive tract. While it may seem like a back molar hidden from view that does not need to be replaced, remember that those teeth are essential for proper chewing and digestion.

Missing teeth can also cause bone loss along the jawline, which leads to a sagging appearance around the mouth. The bone tissue no longer receives support from the tooth, so it weakens over time. Sagging faces are common among people who wear dentures. While it may be inevitable for some, you can do something about it before the sagging begins.

Mental Consequences of Not Replacing a Missing Tooth

Beyond the physical effects, having a missing tooth can have negative mental consequences in the short and long term.

For better or worse, society casts a negative light on people with missing teeth. Look closely at characters on TV or in movies who are supposed to be poor and/or unintelligent — chances are they have at least one missing tooth.

Those perceptions from pop culture spill over into reality, especially in an age when just about anything can be said on social media. Even the toughest skin will weaken over time, just like the spot in your mouth where your tooth is missing.

As life expectancies continue to rise, you could be living with the stigma and difficulty speaking or eating for decades, even if you lose a tooth at age 50 or 60.

Don’t open yourself up to that type of criticism and self-doubt if you have the power to change your appearance.

Restoring Your Smile

Replacing a missing tooth is no longer the ordeal it was in your parents’ generation.

The most common treatment is a dental implant. Implants consist of a titanium screw covered by a crown or denture.

The process typically takes about three months from start to finish, which includes plenty of time for your mouth to adjust to the implant and heal before the crown or denture is applied. The implant and temporary crown can be applied on the same day, allowing you to return to normal activities while the permanent crown is made.

Do your teeth need a tune-up? Are your teeth chipped, broken, cracked, or stained? If so, we can use bonding, veneers, and crowns to fix a range of dental problems.

Bonding

With dental bonding, tooth-colored material (composite resin) is attached, or bonded, with an adhesive to your teeth to repair defects and reshape them. The procedure can be done in a single visit. Aside from fixing chipped, cracked, or stained teeth, bonding can also be used to close spaces in teeth and cover the surface of teeth to change their color or shape. Bonding lasts for several years, but it’s more vulnerable to chipping or staining.

Veneers

Veneers are thin, custom-made shells designed to cover the front of your teeth. They are used to fix spaces between teeth and teeth that are chipped or worn, permanently stained, poorly shaped, or slightly crooked. Made of porcelain or plastic, they are usually used for the front teeth—particularly the upper front teeth—that are most visible when you smile. If you have a wide smile, some of the posterior teeth may be covered as well.

Crowns

If one of your teeth has a large amount of decay, number of fillings, or is cracked, we might recommend a crown. This restores your entire tooth, not just its front surface. To prepare your tooth for a crown, we will reduce the tooth to a stable foundation so that the crown can fit over it.

Crowns are made of materials such as ceramics (porcelain being one type); or metal (alloys of gold, copper, or other so-called noble metals or base metal alloys with a silver appearance) or a combination of ceramics and metal.

Yes. According to the American Dental Association, cost of dental treatments and lack of dental insurance are the main reasons adults aged 18 to 64 don’t seek needed dental care. It’s not surprising. The average out-of-pocket cost for a preventive dental visit (exam, cleaning, x-rays and fluoride) for an uninsured adult in New Jersey is $250-$300.

That’s where dental benefits coverage comes in.

Dental “insurance” doesn’t work the same way as your auto or home owner’s insurance. A dental benefits plan is actually a prepaid service that promotes healthy habits while creating cost savings opportunities.

Here’s how:

Dental plans make it easy to get preventive care. Many employer-sponsored and all of our individual dental plans cover Class I benefits at 100%. Class I benefits include routine exams, cleanings and x-rays. Coverage at 100% means there’s no out-of-pocket costs to you when you see a network dentist.

Dental plans offer savings opportunities for other dental treatments. For example, let’s say you need a crown which is a Class III benefit. Your plan covers them at 50% and you don’t have a deductible. Your dentist is in-network and their negotiated fee for a crown is $1,000. In this case, your dental plan pays your dentist $500 and you pay your dentist $500.

Most major dental plans and support services are designed to make it as easy and affordable as possible for our members to get the dental care they need.

1Wall, T. et al. “Most Important Barriers to Dental Care are Financial, not Supply Related.” American Dental Association Health Policy Institute. Oct 2014.

Around Valentine’s Day, Easter, and other holidays, most of us end up consuming more chocolate than we would on a normal basis and asking ourselves, "is chocolate bad for our teeth?"

Is Chocolate Bad for Your Teeth? Let’s Find Out

Just as studies have shown that a glass of red wine daily can improve circulation and overall heart health in normal adults, results released just last year from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study have indicated that eating chocolate on a daily basis over years can actually improve overall brain cognition. The study was conducted observing 968 participants over an 18-year period and the results indicated higher scores on various cognition tests in participants who consumed chocolate on a daily basis.

Is Milk Chocolate Bad for Your Teeth?

Milk chocolate is probably one of the most popular and widely consumed types of chocolate. Unfortunately, it is not so great for your teeth. Why you may be asking? The answer is simple. Milk chocolate contains more sugar than its dark chocolate counterparts and much more than raw and unprocessed chocolate.

Milk chocolate is a chocolate made from a combination of cocoa, powdered milk, and sugar. The breakdown is usually 20-30% real cocoa, with the balance consisting of sugar and powdered milk. The higher sugar content that is contained in milk chocolate can cause cavities and tooth decay more so than dark, raw, or organic chocolate.

Is Dark Chocolate Bad for Your Teeth?

Dark chocolate is by far the better choice when it comes to keeping your teeth healthy and cavity free. There are some studies that even suggest that dark chocolate can be a cavity fighter. Chocolate is made up of over 300 compounds and is a highly complex substance.

Dark chocolate contains polyphenols. These chemicals can help fight the overgrowth of bacteria and other organisms in the mouth. They can neutralize organisms that cause bad breath and they can prevent some sugars form turning into acid, which can break down the enamel of your teeth and cause tooth decay and cavities.

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which have been shown to slow tooth decay.

Dark chocolate also contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are beneficial to overall health in many ways but when it comes to oral health, having higher levels of antioxidants in your saliva has been shown to help fight gum disease.

Dark chocolate, otherwise known as “real chocolate”, is made up of around 70% cocoa and only 30% powdered milk and sugar. This drastically reduces the detrimental effect that it could have on tooth enamel when compared to milk chocolate.

Sugar Content at a Glance

Here is the breakdown of sugar content, per the USDA, for some of your favorite chocolate types:
White Chocolate: 17 grams per ounce
Milk Chocolate: 15 grams per ounce
Dark Chocolate: 14 grams per ounce

The numbers are not that different but over time the differences can pay a toll on your teeth, resulting in tooth decay, cavities, and more.

How Tooth Decay Occurs & How You Can Prevent It

Tooth decay occurs when bacteria in the mouth turn sugar into acids. Those acids eat away at surface of your teeth, causing decay and cavities.

Tooth decay occurs over time. However, it can be mostly prevented by cutting down on your sugar intake, watching what types of foods you eat, both sweet and savory, and ensuring that you are brushing and flossing your teeth on a daily basis. It also helps to visit your dentist two times per year to identify oral problems early and remove plaque and tartar buildup.

For this year’s holidays, go ahead and indulge. Just remember that, as with most things, moderation is the key.