Certainly, if you are missing teeth that are visible and are affecting your smile and confidence, replacing that tooth is a no brainer. That being said, if I am missing a tooth that no one can see do I really need to replace it?
Yes! You should replace that tooth! I understand that if you are the only one that knows you are missing that tooth than how big of a problem can it be? Replacing teeth is not about the appearance. There are real dangers to not replacing missing teeth. Having a tooth missing in the jaw bone can cause malocclusion. This is when the teeth will shift towards each other in an attempt to close the gap. Malocclusion causes crossbite or overbite and damages the jaw.
The jaw has placeholders for the teeth and if there is no bone, or replacement tooth, in the jaw line facial sagging can occur due to bone loss. The structural integrity of the jaw will be compromised which is why there is facial sagging. This same phenomenon happens to people who have dentures, because there are no, or few, teeth left in the jaw.
Fixing, and replacing, teeth has become a simple task in today’s world. The procedure is simple, not as invasive, and gives you plenty of time to recover before moving forward.