Sillim-dong Dental Clinic - Changes That Happen When Missing Teeth Are Left Untreated

Hello. I’m Kang Dong-ho, the chief director of Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic, Sillim-dong branch, near Sillim Station in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu.

Today, I’ll explain how to address cases where the number of teeth is congenitally insufficient.

First, how many teeth are missing, and how many are missing, is important.

One of the cases commonly seen in the clinic is when a baby tooth remains in place.

Normally, a permanent tooth should come in,

but because the permanent tooth is congenitally absent,

the baby tooth does not fall out and remains in place.

In such cases, baby teeth have short roots,

so they can be used without major problems at first,

but usually after the mid-30s, they gradually become loose

or break, revealing their limits.

At that point, many people consider extraction and implants.

The problem is the condition of the surrounding teeth at that time.

If the empty space is left untreated for a long time, the neighboring teeth may tip over,

or the opposing tooth may move down or up,

causing the overall bite to collapse.

In this case, it is not enough to simply place an implant;

in some situations, orthodontic treatment is needed first to regain the space

before proceeding with treatment.

The more missing-tooth areas there are, the more complicated the situation becomes.

Where teeth are missing, over time

the jawbone is gradually resorbed, becoming thinner and lower.

So even when you are ready to get implants,

there are not a few cases where immediate placement is difficult because there is not enough bone.

In particular, for patients who visit with these issues at a relatively young age,

the cause is often congenitally missing permanent teeth.

These issues require management from an early age.

During the mixed dentition period, such as in elementary school,

when baby teeth and permanent teeth are present together, it is important to make sure

that the permanent teeth are erupting normally.

If there is a space because a permanent tooth is missing,

do not leave it untreated; it is necessary to maintain the space

with a space maintainer.

Otherwise, the surrounding teeth may tip over,

making later treatment much more complicated.

One of the questions many people ask is,

"When can I get an implant?"

Before growth is complete, implant placement is difficult.

In general, men should wait until around age 18,

and women should wait until a slightly earlier age than that,

and until then, it is important to maintain the space with a space maintainer

or a temporary method.

Ultimately, when teeth are missing, it is not simply a matter of

replacing one tooth;

from the growth period onward, a long-term plan is needed,

including space management, orthodontics, and implants.

Depending on how it is managed early on,

the difficulty of treatment and the outcome can change significantly.

This has been Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic, Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu.