How the Rest of Your Smile Reacts to Tooth Loss

Losing one or more teeth results in a few obvious consequences. For instance, your smile’s appearance will likely be affected, though how much depends on the location of your tooth. However, there are also several things that result from tooth loss that aren’t as immediately obvious. For instance, without a tooth root where it’s supposed to be, the health of your jawbone can suffer and make you more prone to tooth loss in the future.

Your other teeth respond poorly

Your teeth look more appealing when you have all of them, but having a full row of teeth is about more than just cosmetics. Your teeth rely on each other for support as you bite and chew every day. With one or more of them gone, the others can shift out of place as they try to accommodate the change in your bite pressure.

Daily tasks become more difficult

A less-than-full row of teeth can also make things like biting and chewing your food more difficult. Over time, this can affect your overall health by causing you to consume less nutrition. In addition, missing teeth can make it more difficult to enunciate your words clearly as you speak, which can have several negative impacts on your social and professional life.

Your jawbone starts to shrink

The part of your tooth that you can’t see – the root – is as vital to your oral health as it is to the tooth that it supports. When you bite and chew, the stimulated root signals your body to send your jawbone ample nutrients. The loss of the root results in a drop in stimulation and a resulting drop in nutrients that can result in your jawbone gradually losing mass and density.

Learn How to Handle Tooth Loss

There’s more to losing teeth than you might realize, though you can do more to save your smile by replacing them with lifelike dental implants. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Modern Smile in North Hollywood, CA, today at 818-763-9353. We also proudly serve patients who live in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and all surrounding communities.