Patients with one or more missing teeth have to deal with damage not just to their oral health, but their self-confidence as well. People with missing teeth are perceived in US society as being poor, uneducated, or unhealthy. Additionally, a recent employment poll revealed that those with missing teeth were much less likely to be hired than people with a full smile, and those who had jobs received significantly less money compared with others in similar roles. If the social stigma attached to tooth loss isn’t enough to spur patients to replace missing teeth, the oral health risks should be. Patients with one or more missing teeth often experience uneven dental wear due to the excess force placed on surrounding teeth, gaps and misalignment as teeth shift to fill in the empty space, changes in facial shape, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) caused by excess strain to the jaw. One of the most detrimental effects of missing teeth is the loss of gum and bone tissue, but most tooth replacement options don’t protect patients from tissue loss because they only replace the visible portion of teeth. Dental implants are the only restoration that replaces the entire tooth from the roots up preserving gum and bone tissue.
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