Leaving gaps between your teeth untreated... can ruin your entire body and cost a fortune.

Representative treatment implant... Recently, the treatment period has shortened to 6 to 8 weeks.

 

Leaving the empty space where a tooth has fallen out can expose you to various complications.

 

Permanent teeth are teeth that must be used throughout a lifetime; once they grow in and fall out, they do not grow back.

 

However, teeth can be lost for various reasons. If there is no significant inconvenience in daily life, many people tend to ignore it and leave it untreated.

 

In this case, the bite may be damaged, and systemic complications such as digestive disorders may occur, so the medical community strongly recommends active treatments such as implants.

 

 

Generally, when a tooth falls out and creates a gap, the adjacent tooth or the teeth above and below that contact the missing space tend to move into the gap, which can cause misalignment of the teeth.

 

Food frequently gets stuck in this gap, and if not properly managed, cavities can develop, or gums may become swollen and painful.

 

Professor Baek Yeon-hwa of the Department of Prosthodontics at Seoul National University Dental Hospital said, "If the empty space is left untreated for a long time, it can make chewing food difficult, leading to various systemic complications such as digestive disorders and nutritional deficiencies."

 

"If one or two teeth are missing and left untreated without immediate discomfort, future treatment may require not only additional orthodontics or prosthetic treatment but also, in severe cases, the extraction of all surrounding teeth," he said.

 

He added, "If you miss the optimal treatment period, you may end up undergoing unnecessary treatments on healthy teeth, which can lead to higher costs, more time, and potentially poorer treatment outcomes."

 

 

Methods to fill the gap left by a missing tooth include bridges, dentures, and implants. The choice of treatment depends on factors such as the location of the missing tooth, bone condition, and the status of surrounding teeth.

 

A bridge is a treatment that involves creating a connected prosthesis by anchoring around two or more teeth adjacent to the missing tooth, without preparing the teeth, effectively bridging the gap.

 

The most representative treatment method, implants, involves inserting an artificial root and placing a crown on top, allowing for structural restoration without damaging surrounding teeth. The implant treatment period begins after extracting the tooth, waiting 3 to 4 months, and then placing the implant once enough bone has filled the space where the tooth root was. After waiting more than 3 months for the bone and implant to fully integrate, a prosthetic is attached.

 

Professor Baek said, "Recently, with the development of implant surgery techniques, the treatment period has been shortened to about 6 to 8 weeks," and added, "In limited cases, immediate implant surgery and temporary prosthetics can be connected on the same day as extraction."

 

He emphasized, "If the patient's bone condition is poor and periodontal disease is severe, the lifespan of the implant is also likely to be shorter," and added, "Consider this not as the end of treatment but as the beginning, and it is recommended to undergo regular check-ups and treatments through continuous management and periodic dental visits."