If you have one or more missing teeth, the resulting gap left in your mouth has the potential to affect your oral health. Depending on the location of the gap, the impacts can be severe. Let’s take a look at some of the problems missing teeth can cause: Shifting teeth. When a space exists in your mouth due to a missing tooth, your healthy teeth will shift into the empty space. However, your teeth were designed to work together in their original configuration, and moving teeth can cause continued issues. Bite changes. Over time, your bite can change to compensate for missing teeth. The resulting bite may cause teeth to rest at odd angles and grind against one another, increasing your chances for broken, chipped, or sensitive teeth. Difficulty chewing. You may need to eat slower or chew on one side of your mouth to avoid the gap. In addition, if your bite changes to compensate for the missing tooth, it may be more difficult to chew food properly. Changes in speech patterns. Your te...