Advanced Smile Dentistry Explains Why Patients Delay Replacing Missing Teeth

Advanced Smile Dentistry

Cost, fear of surgery, and time keep many people from replacing missing teeth. New guidance explains these concerns and what changes while a gap stays open.

TOMS RIVER, NJ, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Advanced Smile Dentistry today released patient guidance on the most common reasons people put off replacing missing teeth, and on what happens in the mouth while they wait, to help patients weigh the timing of dental implants and other tooth replacement options.

Waiting to replace a missing tooth can lead to gradual jawbone loss, movement of neighboring and opposing teeth, and changes in the bite. Implants are often still possible years later, although some patients need additional preparation, such as bone grafting, before an implant can be placed.

The guidance draws on the questions and concerns patients describe at their first consultation. Many arrive months or years after losing a tooth. The practice developed the guidance for patients in Toms River and surrounding Ocean County communities who are living with one or more missing teeth.

"Most people who wait know the gap is there," said Dr. David Basar, DDS, lead dentist at Advanced Smile Dentistry. "They are worried about the cost, or about surgery, or they had a bad experience years ago. Those are fair concerns, and the first visit should answer them before anyone talks about treatment.”

Among the patients Dr. Basar sees for implant consultations, cost uncertainty is the most common concern. Many have heard a figure from a friend or online and assume it applies to them, although the scope of treatment varies widely from one mouth to another. In his experience, fear of pain or surgery comes next, followed by the time treatment takes and the belief that a gap in the back of the mouth does not matter because no one sees it.

Some patients also delay because they were told years earlier that they did not have enough bone for an implant. Dr. Basar said advances in 3D imaging and bone grafting mean some of those patients may benefit from a new evaluation, since imaging improves how the bone is assessed and grafting can rebuild areas where bone is missing.

The tradeoff is that the jaw changes while a space stays empty. Once a tooth is removed, the bone that supported its root is no longer stimulated by chewing and begins to shrink. A 2003 study by Schropp and colleagues, published in the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, found that the width of the bone at extraction sites decreased by about half over 12 months, with roughly two-thirds of that change in the first three months.

Neighboring teeth can also be affected. Teeth next to a gap may tilt or drift into the space, and the tooth above or below it can move toward the gap over time, changing the bite and making later replacement more involved. Dr. Basar said patients missing several teeth often shift their chewing to one side or avoid certain foods without noticing.

"Patients who wait can usually still get implants, though the plan may look different," he said. "Someone who comes in soon after losing a tooth may need less preparation than someone who waits five years."

The practice recommends that patients missing one or more teeth ask during a consultation how much bone remains at the site, whether grafting would be needed now or later, and how the timeline and cost of [dental implant treatment] would change if they wait.

About Advanced Smile Dentistry
Advanced Smile Dentistry is a dental implant practice based in Toms River, New Jersey, led by Dr. David Basar. The practice focuses on full-mouth dental implants, full-arch dental implants, implant-supported dentures, dental implant surgery, and advanced restorative dentistry. Advanced Smile Dentistry utilizes digital diagnostics, 3D imaging, and personalized treatment planning to support predictable treatment outcomes and long-term oral function. The practice helps patients with extensive tooth loss, failing teeth, and complex restorative needs through comprehensive implant-based solutions and patient-centered care. For more information, visit www.advancedsmile.dental.

Dr. David Basar
Advanced Smile Dentistry
+1 732-561-1770
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