The Risks of Not Getting Teeth Replacements
Replacing missing teeth is not all about how you look; they can reason serious health problems. Your teeth are a significant part of your life. They give you your beautiful smile and help you to eat. They also give you self-confidence. Having gaps in your teeth can make you self-conscious and trigger other dental problems over time. Living with missing teeth can degrade your overall health.
Short term consequences
While you may think replacing missing teeth does not matter, the short-term consequences can include:
- Problems talking
- Feelings of embarrassment when talking or smiling
- complexity chewing food
- Extra stress and wear on the other teeth that can weaken them
- Teeth moving to fill the gap left by the missing tooth.
Sinus expansion
When you lose teeth from your upper back jaw, the sinus cavity above the teeth. There is only a thin wall of bone separating the sinus cavity from your mouth. Your teeth keep this cavity. When the bone erodes it is hard to replace lost teeth. You may need a bone graft to have new teeth implanted later in life.
Changes your facial structure
Your teeth are the maintain structure for the lower part of your face. When you lose a tooth the gum in the area remodels itself. This is called residual ridge resorption. It refers to when part of your jaw bone melts away after a tooth extraction.
Over time, your facial muscles will sag and will alter the appearance of your face. This can result in a loss of confidence.
Bone loss
Bone loss is the most important problem associated with not replacing lost teeth. It is also known as bone resorption. It happen because the when a tooth is removed its roots are no longer embedded in the jaw bone. Once there is a gap and if it is not filled with a replacement tooth, the jaw bone will deteriorate. This can weaken your jaw and reason further tooth loss.
This is not something you want to occur. It does not just affect the area of the lost tooth but nearby teeth as well. Over time it will also affect the shape of your face. Your lips may become thinner and your cheeks appear sunken.
Lost teeth can make speaking difficult
Missing teeth can impact your speech, particularly when missing front teeth. It makes it hard to clearly pronounce your words. You can slur your words or develop a lisp that makes it hard for others to understand you. This can get frustrating when you have to keep repeating yourself so people can understand what you say.