Another potential problem, which is easy to spot, is missing teeth.  Many patients Dr. Wiele sees assume that if they are still able to eat, they are O.K.

But very often, losing just one tooth can lead to the loss of support, and teeth begin to drift into the empty space, causing a change in the bite.  It also forces the remaining teeth to carry an additional load, sometimes past their ability to adapt.  In most cases, when even one tooth is lost, the remaining teeth suffer and are more likely to be lost as well.  Think of an old stone archway.  If even one stone is displaced or missing, the whole archway begins to collapse.  The same is true for your dental arches.