People are tempted to do this, especially if it’s a tooth located at the back of their mouth and you can’t really see it. Unfortunately, there are some long term consequences with not taking care of a missing tooth.
When you lose teeth, the bone in your jaw that supported the tooth starts to shrink. The sockets recede, and over time the bone will deteriorate.
Not only does the bone shrink, but as that process continues, it can result in the shifting of your other teeth, leading to a domino effect of tooth loss. While dental restorations like bridges can slow the shifting of teeth, they do not prevent bone loss and eventually can also result in tooth loss.
Dental implants will stop bone loss by replacing the lost roots of your teeth. This means that your bone structure will be better preserved, and you’ll be saving the rest of your teeth as well.