{"id":43,"date":"2024-12-13T00:36:31","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T00:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/?p=43"},"modified":"2025-08-19T15:49:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T15:49:17","slug":"why-replace-lost-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/why-replace-lost-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"No One Can See This Gap in My Smile; Why Should I Replace My Tooth?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"483\" src=\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AdobeStock_271227717__1734482290_16925.jpg\" alt=\"Lady thinks something over\" class=\"wp-image-44\" style=\"width:318px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AdobeStock_271227717__1734482290_16925.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AdobeStock_271227717__1734482290_16925-300x181.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AdobeStock_271227717__1734482290_16925-768x464.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tooth loss is an unfortunately common problem across the world, and many people have lost one or more of teeth in the backs of their mouths. Since molars are often not noticeable when a person speaks or smiles, some people may wonder why they should bother replacing these teeth after their loss. Here\u2019s why it\u2019s important to replace lost teeth as soon as possible and a few ways in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/missing-teeth.html\">your dentist can help<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tooth Loss Leads to Oral Health Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like every other part of the body, the jawbone needs exercise to stay healthy and strong, and its daily workout normally comes from the teeth during chewing. Briefly after a tooth is lost, the bone tissue that supported it will begin to atrophy for lack of stimulation. Eventually, it may pull other teeth out of alignment as it recedes, which can make them harder to clean, easier to injure, and more likely to be lost. If this process goes on for too long, the patient may lose many teeth and be left with a mouth that appears sunken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Loss of Molars Makes Chewing More Difficult<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The molars are the big, flat teeth in the back of the mouth that serve to crush and grind food matter during the chewing process. These teeth allow us to comfortably process many tough foods such as raw veggies and fresh meat so they can be digested easily, and losing even one can make it more difficult for a patient to enjoy a nutritious diet and leave them more vulnerable to gum injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can My Lost Teeth Be Replaced?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, advances in dental medicine have given today\u2019s patients a selection of excellent ways to replace missing teeth. After a brief consultation to determine the best treatment to restore your smile, your dentist may recommend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dentures:<\/strong> Modern dentures can replace several or all of a patient\u2019s missing teeth, and they are so lifelike and comfortable that the people wearing them often forget that they are there.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dental bridges:<\/strong> These devices can replace one to four sequential missing teeth. Traditional bridges are supported by dental crowns placed on health teeth on either side of the gap, but implant bridges depend on surgically placed titanium posts for maximum durability and chewing power.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dental implants:<\/strong> These titanium posts are surgically inserted into the jawbone so they can support lifelike dental restorations such as crowns, bridges, or dentures. These devices look, feel, and work just like real teeth, making them the ideal form of tooth replacement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best way to replace your lost teeth depends on your preferences, your oral health, and your budget. Consulting with your dentist can help you find the most effective way to restore your smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Valer Dental &amp; Braces offers the finest oral health services from two locations in Albuquerque. Lead by Drs. Kurtis Lightheart, Christopher Lo, and Erika Belle, the staff ensures that each patient receives outstanding customer service as well as sincere compassion and genuine courtesy. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. To learn more about how replacing your lost teeth can help you, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/contact-us.html\">contact the practice online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tooth loss is an unfortunately common problem across the world, and many people have lost one or more of teeth in the backs of their mouths. Since molars are often not noticeable when a person speaks or smiles, some people may wonder why they should bother replacing these teeth after their loss. Here\u2019s why it\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Should I Replace My Lost Tooth? | Valer Dental &amp; Braces<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Replacing lost teeth has many oral and overall health benefits. Here are a few reasons to consider restoring your smile with dentures, a bridge, or an implant.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/why-replace-lost-teeth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Should I Replace My Lost Tooth? | Valer Dental &amp; Braces\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Replacing lost teeth has many oral and overall health benefits. Here are a few reasons to consider restoring your smile with dentures, a bridge, or an implant.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/why-replace-lost-teeth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Valer Dental &amp; Braces Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-13T00:36:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-19T15:49:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AdobeStock_271227717__1734482290_16925.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valerdental\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valerdental\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/why-replace-lost-teeth\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/why-replace-lost-teeth\/\",\"name\":\"Should I Replace My Lost Tooth? | Valer Dental & Braces\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/why-replace-lost-teeth\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/13\/why-replace-lost-teeth\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/AdobeStock_271227717__1734482290_16925.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-13T00:36:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-19T15:49:17+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.valerdental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1bf7da2e64be43b10240a1c1bee60904\"},\"description\":\"Replacing lost teeth has many oral and overall health benefits. 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