Regardless of whether the cause is from tooth decay, gum disease, mouth injuries, or congenital issues, missing one or all of your teeth can have many negative effects on your confidence level and your oral health. Tooth loss is a problem that affects many people in South Florida. Fortunately, seeking the help of a qualified oral surgeon experienced in providing dental implants and other solutions can restore the look and functionality of your mouth.
Missing Teeth Can Affect Your Self-Confidence
Missing teeth, especially those in the front, can have quite the impact on your appearance. For many people, the first thing they see when greeting someone is their smile. If you have missing or failing teeth, your smile can become a source of self-consciousness that leads you to change the way you interact with others. This can cause problems at work and in social situations and even affect your ability to attain career and life goals. Restoring your smile with dental implants can also restore your confidence in ways that you may not expect.
Missing Teeth and Your Appearance
In addition to affecting the look of your smile, missing teeth can lead to other changes to your appearance. When you lose teeth, the gum tissue underneath can start to pull back. The interplay between bone and teeth is also affected, and you may have problems with jawbone deterioration. When this happens, surrounding teeth can become misaligned or even weaken to the point of collapse.
Advanced bone deterioration due to missing teeth can also affect the look of your face. With a reduced jawbone, wrinkles can become more prevalent and your cheeks may start to sag or take on a hollow appearance. Taking action to prevent bone loss from missing teeth can help you avoid these issues and keep you from looking older than you are.
Chewing With Missing Teeth
Beyond affecting your looks and confidence levels, missing teeth can also make mealtime feel like a chore. Of course, with one or several teeth missing, normal chewing becomes nearly impossible. Also, because you may chew differently to compensate for your missing teeth, your bite can change and lead to abnormal wear on your healthy teeth. Chewing differently can also affect your jaw joint and cause problems such as pain and discomfort outside of your mouth.
Tooth Loss Is a Common Problem
When you are dealing with failing or missing teeth, you may be discouraged and feel like you should have done more to prevent it. This kind of thinking, however, isn’t helpful and will only lead to more stress. It’s important to remember that tooth loss is a common problem that affects many individuals.
With people living longer these days, tooth loss is especially prevalent among older populations. Many younger people also deal with the issue, so it’s important to understand your options. Thankfully, due to advancements in modern dentistry, there are many solutions available for missing teeth.
Dr. Andrew Slavin and his team at the Good Samaritan Dental Implant Institute are available for those wishing to learn more about personalized implant care and other treatment options available in West Palm Beach, Florida.