Do you have a missing tooth in the back of your mouth, but the gap in your teeth doesn't appear to bother you? Do you have a missing tooth that can hardly be noticed from a distance, and you don't even see the flaw in your smile in pictures?

A missing back tooth may not seem like much of a concern, but it may be worth it to you to replace missing back teeth via dental implants. Here are reasons why you should consider dental implants to replace missing back teeth, even if you aren't bothered by the missing tooth.

You need to fill the gap

If you don't fill the gap in your smile where there are missing teeth, you put your teeth and jawbone at risk of deformation or weakness. How? Your teeth support each other, similar to the way a fence panel supports other fence panels. Should you lose a single tooth, your surrounding teeth are left exposed and can become weak or lose their positioning in your mouth as a result.

Dental implants can restore the strength and positioning of remaining teeth and help you improve your smile. Your jawbone benefits as well, since having something in the jawbone will encourage its strength.

You need to support your face shape

Making your smile as natural as possible by replacing missing teeth in the back — even if you don't notice it — is beneficial to helping you keep more of your natural smile. Your back teeth in particular support the cheek tissue in your face, so if you fail to replace a missing back tooth, you might have indenting and sagging in your cheeks that can create an uneven shape in your face's appearance.

Keep your smile natural so you can help your face keep its shape and also help keep your face more youthful-looking, longer. Your dentist can show you how dental implants can impact you in a positive way.

You need to eat and speak well

Even if your missing back tooth doesn't bother you now, having all your teeth in the back via getting dental implants when necessary will help you eat and speak better over time. If you have more than one missing back tooth, dental implants can be even more necessary, so speak to your dentist about your options for getting a tooth implant in your mouth. Your dental implant will last for many years once you have it put in.