What happens when I don’t replace my teeth?
Tooth loss can have several effects that may negatively impact both your appearance and your health:
- Remaining teeth can drift toward the empty spaces where your teeth used to be.
- As teeth drift, they become crowded, affecting your smile’s appearance.
- To correct misalignment, you may require additional orthodontic care.
- Crowded, crooked, and misaligned teeth are harder to clean. Without good oral care, teeth and gums are vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease. More teeth may be lost as a result.
- The bone in your jaw can weaken and deteriorate quickly due to the lack of stimulation from the roots and functions of the teeth. Without treatment, the effects of bone loss get worse.
- Bone loss leaves behind a dip or sunken-in section of bone that can spread to other teeth.
- As the above process occurs, your facial appearance can change. You may appear prematurely “aged” as the lips and/or cheeks sink. The overlying skin and muscle also lose their structural support and, as these tissues fall, you may notice significant wrinkles, folds, and loose skin.
- Bone loss and a misaligned bite can make chewing difficult, impacting your ability to properly digest foods and obtain essential nutrients from various food sources.
- Due to changes in the position of the lips and tongue, the clarity of your speech may also be affected as bone loss occurs. You may find it difficult to pronounce words clearly and properly, and you may also whistle or spit when speaking.
- Oral appliances (like splints, nightguards, snoreguards, and sports mouthguards) may no longer fit. These appliances were designed to conform to the teeth and other tissues. As teeth are lost and supportive tissues degrade, these appliances may become loose and uncomfortable.
How does replacing my teeth help?
Any form of tooth loss can help with some of the earlier bullet points listed above. For instance, conventional bridges and partial dentures fill in the gaps and empty spaces. With these spaces filled, your neighboring teeth “stay put.” They do not drift out of alignment. However, these traditional forms of tooth replacement do not help with some of the later bullet points. Only dental implants protect and halt the many negative effects or complications associated with progressive bone loss or bone resorption.
