Replacing Missing Teeth Will Benefit Your Appearance and Your Oral Health

If you’re missing one or more teeth because of decay, extraction, injury, or another reason, then it’s important to address the situation. In fact, replacing missing teeth can have a positive impact on your health and your appearance, while ignoring the problem can lead to poor oral health and a changing appearance. 

You’ll Have Your Naturally Radiant Smile Back 

Missing teeth may be an embarrassing problem, and you might feel reluctant to smile, talk, and otherwise show off your mouth if you have a tooth or two that have fallen out. Moreover, missing teeth are very noticeable, so others may notice the gap instead of your beautiful smile or your pleasant demeanor. 

Your Face Will Get Its Normal Structure Back

Replacing missing teeth will also restore your facial structure. Although you may not realize it, your teeth are an essential part of your face’s support system, and without teeth, your mouth can look sunken instead of full and plump.

Replacing Missing Teeth Can Actually Prevent Further Tooth Loss

One of the most important reasons to replace teeth when they fall out or are extracted is that missing teeth can begin a chain reaction that leads to further loss. Here’s how it works. When you eat, your jaw bone is stimulated by the pressure and force applied by your teeth. Without teeth, the jaw doesn’t get this pressure or the stimulation, so it starts to shrink, which is a process called resorption. Over time, resorption can lead to further tooth loss. 

It Will Stop Your Teeth from Shifting 

The position and alignment of your teeth within your jaw are determined in large part by how much room your teeth have to move around. When you have a full, functioning set of teeth and just the right amount of space, then your teeth won’t move around much. But when gaps appear because of missing teeth, it gives other teeth some room, and this can cause them to shift and spread out. Along with changing the appearance of your mouth, shifting teeth can also create something called malocclusion (misalignment or a bad bite), which can, in turn, lead to cracked teeth, chipping, and tooth decay.  

You’ll Be Able to Eat the Foods You Want 

Teeth are a crucial part of the eating process, and there are plenty of foods you won’t be able to enjoy if you’re missing teeth. For example, when you’re missing teeth, you may have to take meat, fresh fruits, certain vegetables, and many hard foods off the menu. With replacement teeth, you’ll once again be able to enjoy all the foods you love.