If you wonder if you should ask your dentist about ways to replace your missing teeth, you might like to know how and why it would be worth the investment.
#1: Missing Teeth Can Change Structure And Appearance Of Your Face
You might have considered that perhaps no one else would even notice your missing tooth–unless you flash a broad, open-mouth smile. However, a missing tooth can affect the structure and outward appearance of the rest of your face as well.
1. A missing tooth can impact your other teeth and the rest of your smile. If you had straight teeth before you lost a tooth, consider that your remaining teeth may shift towards the empty gap and become visibly crooked or misaligned.
2. A missing tooth can reduce bone density in your jawbone. Your jawbone serves as a foundation for your teeth. This foundation stays strong due to regular stimulation. The lack of stimulation from a missing tooth can result in a decrease in bone density and volume. If you put off replacing a missing tooth, this becomes an issue when your dentist evaluates the underlying bone for adequate density and strength to place a dental implant
3. A missing tooth can result in gradual changes to prematurely make you look older than you are. Bone deterioration in your jawbone can make your chin and nose slowly become closer together on your face. The corners of your lips could also turn downwards. Even with a neutral expression, you might appear to be frowning or less approachable. With these changes, not only would you look both unhappier and much older than you are.
#2: Missing Teeth Can Impair Your Speech And How You Chew
Have you noticed that when children lose their baby teeth, they may speak with a lisp? This speech impediment can be caused by their missing teeth. When a child has a missing tooth, it can directly affect their speech. Your tongue touches your teeth in certain ways when you speak in order to produce certain sounds. An adult who is missing one or more teeth can expect to notice a difference in their speech as well. You may also remember losing your baby teeth in your childhood, and how you had to chew extra carefully before your new adult teeth came in. This same principle applies as well. When you chew with one or more missing teeth, you may have to take extra care to chew with smaller, more strategic bites to prevent irritating or injuring exposed gum tissue in the gaps between teeth. In these ways, missing teeth can be a noticeable inconvenience during mundane, day-to-day activities. Missing a tooth can be an aesthetic issue and a functional issue as well.
#3: It’s Less Costly To Replace Missing Teeth Sooner Rather Than Later
If you think a missing tooth is something you’d rather worry about further down the line, consider this: it may be more inexpensive to fix the issue sooner rather than later. Without stimulation from the missing tooth, the bone under your tooth gap may become weaker. This becomes an issue when your dentist evaluates the bone quality to determine if it is suitable for a dental implant. If you lose a tooth due to poor dental hygiene, you would risk losing another if you do not develop better habits and receive the necessary care. It would also be more expensive to replace multiple missing teeth instead of just one.
How Can My Dentist Replace A Missing Tooth?
If you are missing a tooth, your dentist may recommend dental implants. Dental implants consist of an artificial replacement tooth and a strong metal anchor that serves as the tooth “root” that is surgically placed into the jawbone where there is a gap from a missing tooth. With dental implants, you can restore comfort, function, and speech; protect your healthy bone structure; and maintain the appearance of your smile.
For Southern California patients seeking dental care in Arcadia, Los Angeles, Venture, or Hesperia, and patients in Texas in the Lewisville area, consider Digital Denture. Digitally-guided implants from Digital Denture are accurate and less invasive. You can preview results and streamline the process with same-day teeth, and expect a faster recovery time. Call 866-512-2084 for a consultation today.
