How A Missing Tooth Affects Multiple Aspects of Your Health
Having a missing tooth can seem like a fairly trivial issue and many people do not seek treatment until serious complications arise. We discuss the consequences of leaving a missing tooth untreated for a period of time and how tooth loss can affect your daily life.
Jaw bone loss
Teeth stimulate and support your jawbone in the same way that partaking in sport and exercising promotes muscle health. When you lose a tooth, the bone that previously supported it no longer receives the stimulation it needs and just like a muscle, unused jawbone can become weak and sunken. Dental implants are a fixed solution that mimic the function of a real tooth root. After a surgical procedure, they are left to fuse with your jawbone for a period of months and over this time, they become a permanent part of you. As a result, bone and tissue begins to grow around the root again.
Interfering with daily activities
Unsurprisingly, a missing tooth will inhibit your ability to break down foods, harder foods in particular. Whilst dentures can restore function to a certain degree, they will still cause some issues with breaking down harder foods because they are a removable restorative solution. In contrast, dental implants are a fixed treatment that restore function to 100%, so you can eat all the foods you love with a tooth that feels like your own.
Your facial aesthetic
A further complication of a missing tooth is bone resorption, which occurs as a result of the jawbone having no stimuli. This can have adverse effects on your appearance, causing a sunken lower face and wrinkled lips, making you appear older than your years.
Potential need for orthodontic treatment
Although your teeth feel securely set in your jawbone, they are still capable of movement – this movement allows their position to adapt to the changes that occur with age and other factors. However, when you have a gap in your teeth, neighbouring teeth may begin shifting into the vacant space, creating unnatural gaps and areas which can become difficult to clean and even necessitating orthodontic treatment.
Your confidence
The pointers we have discussed above can affect your self-esteem, confidence, desire to smile, and relationships with others. Arguably, the most important and life-changing aspect of replacing a missing tooth is the boost it will give you emotionally. If your features have suffered the effects of resorption, dental implants will reverse this and restore a younger and healthier-looking you.
Here at Smile Up, we are open 7 days a week to offer convenience and flexibility to our patients. We are a multi-lingual practice, speaking languages that include Polish, Portuguese, French, Russian, Italian and Greek. Get in touch with us today to book yourself in for a consultation.
