How Missing Teeth Affect Speech and Chewing
The loss of a tooth nobody sees is still a functional loss.
Speech: which sounds depend on which teeth
Speech sounds are shaped by airflow between oral structures, and teeth are part of those structures. F and V are produced as the upper incisors touch the lower lip, a contact that cannot form when an upper front tooth is missing. S, Z and Sh are more delicate still, needing a narrow, even gap between tongue tip and front teeth; if that space is altered, airflow scatters and a whistling tone appears. This is why anterior prostheses are tried in for speech as well as appearance.
Chewing: the chain set off by one-sided chewing
When a back tooth is lost, chewing usually shifts unconsciously to the other side. That looks like a comfortable solution but starts a chain: the unused side self-cleans less and accumulates calculus, while load concentrates on the used side, causing wear, fractured restorations and eventually joint strain. Add the over-eruption of the opposing tooth and the tipping of neighbours, and the whole bite changes because of one missing tooth.
What appears as the gap persists
- Over-eruption of the tooth in the opposing jaw
- Neighbouring teeth tipping into the space
- Uncleanable contacts created by tipped teeth
- Chewing load concentrating on fewer teeth
- A shift towards soft, less-chewed foods
- Gradual resorption of the jawbone at the site
- Later prosthetic treatment becoming more complex
Getting Here, Booking and Emergencies from Kisla
Route, booking and emergency arrangements for patients from Kisla.
Getting here from Kisla
Kışla lies in the Muratpaşa district of Antalya; Muratpaşa is one of the central districts, about 2 kilometres from the clinic. We also see patients from neighbouring areas that share the route from Kisla, such as Güvenlik, Kızılarık, Meydankavağı, Tahılpazarı. You can ask for the location on WhatsApp when travelling from Kisla.
Appointments for Kisla
At this distance, splitting treatment into visits is no problem for patients from Kışla, and attending reviews is easy too. As with patients from Muratpasa generally, appointments for families from Kisla can be scheduled consecutively.
Emergencies from Kisla
Setting out from Kışla at night is quick; come without delay in an emergency, and calling as you leave means preparation is done in advance. For patients coming from Dental Clinic in Kisla, the clinic is open 24/7 and in an emergency the order is set by severity rather than arrival time. For spreading facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or toothache with fever, go to the nearest emergency department.
Gum Grafting: Covering an Exposed Root
Receded gum does not return on its own. In suitable cases a graft can cover the root surface, correcting both sensitivity and appearance.
Two basic methods
The choice depends on tissue thickness and expectations:
- Connective tissue graft: taken from the palate, the most predictable for coverage
- Free gingival graft: increases thickness, with a poorer colour match
- Pedicle flaps: repositioning adjacent tissue, needing no second site
- Ready-made tissue matrices: no palatal harvest, more comfortable
What determines success
The most decisive factor is the state of the papilla between the neighbouring teeth and the bone beneath it. Where the papilla is intact, complete root coverage is likely. Where bone has been lost between the teeth, full coverage may not be achievable and the goal shifts to thickening the tissue and halting progression. This expectation must be discussed clearly beforehand.
Not done before the cause is addressed
Before grafting, the cause of the recession must be dealt with: brushing technique corrected, gum disease treated, and a guard made where there is clenching. A graft placed while the cause persists is lost in the same way. The preparatory stage is therefore as decisive as the surgery.
