What happens when you lose your teeth?
Losing teeth can be caused by natural and unnatural circumstances. But what happens when you don’t get dental implants to replace missing teeth? A lot of people don’t understand the serious implications missing teeth can have on their lives.
The non-natural ways people lose their teeth include getting knocked out by a forceful blow, tooth decay, and diseases that affect the integrity of their gums
The natural way to lose teeth is simply due to age and poor genetics.
Having missing teeth can cause myriad problems. This can create problems such as shifted teeth, uneven growth of teeth, and bone mass reduction in the jaw. Your outer appearance over time also changes as these things happen inside your mouth.
4 Things That Happen When You Don’t Replace Missing Teeth
Here are 4 things that happen to you when you don’t immediately replace missing teeth with dental implants:
- Shifted Teeth
Your teeth are designed to hold and support each other in place. When one goes missing the others, over time, shift to fill up the space.
This can cause teeth to look crooked as they shift to adjust within your mouth. Straight teeth leaning inwards to fill a gap can create more uneven spaces leading to a buck toothed or gnarled appearance.
- Uneven Tooth Growth
Another thing that opposing teeth do is keep each other’s growth in check. Without any opposing tooth to limit it, the unopposed tooth can extend further than its normal length. This leads to uneven tooth growth.
It is not unusual to see patients with missing teeth have elongated teeth, which are trying to fill gaps where opposing teeth should be.
This can cause a problem with your chewing, or worse, cause a problem when you try to close your mouth properly.
- Mouth Alignment issues
Deformed and uneven teeth can result in a misaligned mouth.
Because your teeth have basically shifted to adjust or grew longer than they were supposed to, your mouth ends up looking misaligned. Your chewing pattern changes. Your jaw muscles try to compensate for the change as well.
Over time, this compensation will cause your face to look lopsided. It also increases the probability of you developing speech impediments as your mouth’s natural movements have changed. Headaches, advanced tooth decay, and weakened teeth can also develop at this point.
- Jawbone Mass Reduction
Last but not the least, perhaps the scariest result of missing teeth is jawbone mass reduction. A missing tooth can cause the mass of the jawbone to reduce each year, leading to a weakened jaw. When bone mass reduction occurs, the bone collapses unto itself pulling the attached muscles and tissues with it. This can drastically change your entire facial structure as your face’s muscles and tissues are connected to strategic points on your bone structure.
When bone mass reduction occurs, the bone collapses unto itself pulling the attached muscles and tissues with it.
Although this process is gradual, it does affect your overall appearance over time. This is not something you want happening to you while you are still young.
These 4 things can easily be avoided by simply replacing your missing teeth via the use of dentures, having veneers installed, or getting dental implants.
The first two (dentures and veneers) are good ways to deal with missing teeth but they are not as permanent as what dental implants offer.
Dental implants have become more affordable in the last decade and they have become a popular choice for patients wishing to replace missing teeth.
The benefits associated with dental implants far outweigh the costs of having this simple operation done. Get more information.
The Dental Implants Procedure
You will have to undergo a series of stress tests to determine if you’re healthy enough to have dental implants. This usually involves checking your normal body functions, the health condition of your mouth and the remaining teeth you have, as well as determining if your body can withstand the effects of the general anaesthesia that will be used throughout each operation.
This procedure can be completed over the course of a month or two and there is no need to drastically change your schedule to have dental implants. You’ll be asked to rest for a day or two after each operation and advised not to do any heavy lifting so as not to rupture the sutures used to close the operated on areas. You’ll also have to come in periodically so your West Ryde dentist can check the state in which the dental implants have bonded with your jaw.
Once the first phase is done and the base is securely set in place, the abutment is attached and another waiting period occurs before the cap is finally put in place and you have a full set of teeth again.
The only thing you’ll have to think about after that is giving us a regular visit like you would with your normal, healthy teeth.
FREE Dental Implants Consultation in West Ryde
At My Local Dentists West Ryde we have successfully installed dental implants for our patients for many years. Our track record speaks for itself. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond each customer’s expectations. We have highly competent dentists and staff on board to address your needs.
If you want more information about dental implants, come visit us and we’ll help you with the initial assessment. We put your concerns and dental health as our top priority.
Call us at (02) 9809 7000 or book appointment online to claim your FREE Dental Implants Consultation TODAY!