7 Unsuspecting Consequences Of Not Replacing Your Missing Teeth
At Sheen Dental we’re always banging on about the importance of replacing missing teeth. Whether it’s through dental implants in Richmond, or through other restorative means, the cynics amongst you may be under the impression that we say this because we’re looking to get more patients through the doors. However the truth is that when patients ignore missing teeth, it can open up a whole new world of dental issues. Let’s take a closer look at some of them.
Missing teeth leads to further bone loss
In the same way that muscle is kept in good working order through use, jaw bone mass is maintained through the stimulation of biting and chewing. When teeth are missing, this action isn’t there and as a result bone mass at the site of the missing tooth starts to diminish. This is a process known as absorption.
Teeth drifting occurs
Your teeth are in many ways like an archway of bricks. If a keystone is removed it weakens the rest of the structure. The same thing happens to your teeth. When a tooth is missing the remaining teeth begin to drift out of line making it more difficult to clean your teeth and chew food, and can also lead to a destabilisation of the tooth root.
Altering facial features
Even if you don’t realise it, when teeth aren’t there to support the framework of the face you’ll start to get a sunken appearance and added wrinkles making you appear older than your years.
Chronic headaches
When teeth are missing the opposing teeth have nothing to rest or bite against (remember stimulation from above?). Instead they can start to erupt causing damage to the surrounding gum. Not only can this cause facial pain, but it can also cause chronic headaches or migraine, particularly when the cause of the discomfort is situated at the jaw point.
Inability to annunciate words and phrases
Missing teeth (depending upon where they are) can also affect speech. In turn this can greatly affect a person’s confidence levels often causing them to withdraw from social situations.
Insufficient nutrition
We chew our food not only to make it easy to digest, but to extract the most amount of nutrients possible. When teeth are missing chewing can be more difficult and therefore impossible to extract the optimum amount of nutrients contained within the food. As a result a person might be missing out on all the essential vitamins and minerals they need, inevitably taking it’s toll on their overall health.
Expansion of the sinus region
When upper back teeth are missing the sinus cavity expands to fill the missing space. This in turn can erode the jaw further causing greater bone loss and potentially the loss of more teeth.
So there you have it, 7 unsuspecting consequences of not replacing missing teeth. A simple way to solve the problem is by undergoing a dental implant. In Richmond our experienced team practice pain free and safe dentistry so you don’t have to worry. The missing tooth is replaced allowing you to quickly carry on your life as normal. It really is that simple!
To find out more about dental implants in Richmond, then book yourself a free, no-obligation consultation where you can discuss your options. Call us today on 020 8876 5277 or alternatively make a booking via our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk