A Brief Discussion About Tooth Loss
If you've lost one or more teeth to dental disease or trauma, the gaps in your smile may prompt you to replace those teeth as soon as possible. Your smile is a dominant facial feature, and your confidence in it can significantly affect your interactions with others. Sometimes, however, the loss may be in the back of your mouth and not very noticeable, or you may not mind a gapped smile at all, and feel as though it adds character to your visage. Unfortunately, your mouth mourns the loss of every tooth, even if your confidence doesn't. Today, we briefly discuss the consequences of tooth loss, including those that you may not notice until it's too late.
Why Missing Teeth Matter
Your teeth undergo a lot of pressure every day from biting and chewing. A healthy, full set of teeth can evenly displace this pressure to minimize damage to your teeth and gums. When you lose one or more teeth, their remaining brethren may shift towards the open space trying to take up the slack. Migrating teeth can throw your bite off balance further, leading to excessive wear on certain teeth, problems with your jaw's function (such as TMJ disorder), and the onset of dental diseases that can cost you more teeth. As negligible as you may consider a gapped smile, your biology will automatically mourn the loss of your teeth, and your remaining oral health can suffer for it.
Tooth Loss, Jawbone Degradation, and Dental Implants
Shifting teeth can become a serious problem if left untreated, but it is not the most destructive result of unchecked tooth loss. Healthy tooth roots are embedded in your jawbone, and when you bite and chew, these roots are stimulated, letting your body know to send your jaw enough nutrients to support them. When these roots are no longer there to provide this stimulation, the supply of nutrients diminishes.
Over time, jawbone deterioration (from the nutrient deficiency) can lead to the loss of more teeth, not to mention the sunken-face look often referred to as "facial collapse." Replacing your lost teeth with a dental implant-supported prosthesis can help prevent this destruction by replacing the roots of lost teeth. Implants are surgically inserted into your jawbone, and once healed, can be used to anchor your replacement teeth as securely as your natural teeth and roots.