Why Replacing Your Missing Teeth Is Important
Why Replacing Your Missing Teeth Is Important
A healthy mouth functions like a well-oiled machine as it provides you with an attractive smile, youthful-looking skin, proper chewing ability, and correct speech.
When you begin to lose teeth, the balance in your mouth is thrown off and the integrity of your oral environment becomes compromised. For this reason, you should strongly consider seeing our Newport Beach dentist to learn the best way to replace missing teeth in your mouth.
Side Effects of Missing Teeth
If you don’t get your missing teeth replaced, you may start to notice some of these side effects.
Your Teeth Are Shifting
Your teeth have a natural instinct to butt up against each other. When you get a tooth pulled, you’re left with a large space that your remaining teeth are going to try and close by shifting into it. While this may sound ideal, it’s not. The teeth don’t move in a properly aligned formation. Instead, the remaining teeth slant over, resulting in small spaces between all of your teeth, and teeth that are at different angles.
This shifting, which is one of the most common side effects of missing teeth, is something that happens gradually. In fact, at first you may not even realize it’s taking place but when you look back a few years after you’ve lost your teeth, you’ll become aware of how much change has occurred within your mouth. Not only will your smile be less attractive, but your teeth will also pack food because of the small spaces between them.
It’s Hard to Brush Properly
Another one of the side effects of missing teeth is a compromised ability to properly brush your teeth. With gapped teeth that are at different angles, it can be very hard for you to maneuver your toothbrush in all the positions needed to effectively remove plaque throughout your mouth. If plaque and tartar buildup isn’t properly removed you risk having bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay.
There’s a Workload Imbalance
The way your mouth is designed, every tooth plays a specific role. For example, your front teeth bite into soft foods like doughnuts, your canines tear tougher foods like meat, and your back teeth chew and breakdown the food to allow you to swallow it easily and properly digest it.
Having missing teeth causes a workload imbalance in that well-oiled machine. Your remaining teeth are left to do the work of the ones that are missing, which is not something that they were designed to do. For example, if you’re missing your back teeth, then you must chew with your front ones…which makes them more susceptible to chipping and breaking, because they’re not as strong as back teeth are.
Your Facial Features Change
Your teeth and bone are responsible for holding the shape of your face. When you begin to lose teeth, your bone deteriorates, and your face begins to look sunken in and saggy. In addition, facial wrinkles are more prominent, making you look tired and aged.
Impaired Speech
Your teeth are also partly responsible for giving you the ability to make certain sounds and properly pronounce words. Losing one or more of your teeth can cause slurred speech and an inability to make certain sounds, like those that are made when your tongue touches your teeth.
Best Way to Replace Missing Teeth
When you’re told that you need to have a tooth pulled, you should immediately start considering your tooth replacement options with our Newport Beach dentist.
Getting a dental implant is often seen as the best way to replace missing teeth because implants are as strong, if not stronger, than your natural smile. However, when it comes to multiple replacements or full mouth restoration, some people opt for a more affordable alternative. Fortunately, there are other tooth replacement options available and we can help you find the best one that meets your needs and budget.
For instance, if you don’t qualify for a dental implant because you don’t have enough bone to place it, then you may want to consider a dental bridge as a fixed, natural-looking solution that lasts a long time.
For those patients that need an affordable option to replace several missing teeth, then a removable partial may be the right solution. This appliance is held in place by hugging your remaining teeth and fills in the gaps throughout your mouth with prefabricated teeth that compliment your smile.
Learn More About Your Tooth Replacement Options
To learn more about your tooth replacement options, come and see Dr. Yazdan, our Newport Beach dentist.
Dr. Yazdan and the staff of The Center For Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry look forward to helping you through the process and ensuring that you’re happy with the results. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation.
About Dr. Yazdan
