Dental Dilemmas: Tooth Loss - 4 Life-changing Consequences

Missing teeth can occur to any of us.

Whether it’s due to age, smoking addiction, indulging in sugary foods (which we’ve all been guilty of at some time or another) unfortunate circumstances such as hardship or poor health leading to dietary or dental deficiencies, accidents and injuries, mental health disorders or depression inhibiting proper self-care and dental hygiene, all of these factors can lead to irreversible damage and tooth loss.

The mouth is the place where healing occurs the fastest, yet teeth lack any way to repair themselves, so here are some important things to know about the knock-on effects of tooth loss, and why it’s important not to shy away from restorative treatment.

Loss of even one tooth can compromise the teeth either side, causing additional pressure and deterioration over time as they compensate for the gap. This worsens if more than one tooth is lost, eventually affecting bite strength and jaw alignment, as well as the person's outward appearance and face structure. This is why it’s common for teeth lost due to wear and tear to be in a similar place. Additionally, the bone beneath the missing teeth recedes over time, affecting facial symmetry and jaw alignment.

Dental Dilemmas

• Pain - Dental pain is often termed as one of the most invasive, inescapable and extreme types of pain that could affect any one of us on a day-to-day basis. Being in constant pain of varying degrees, from a nagging ache, all the way up to being beside oneself with agony, can take their toll on a person's mental state, made worse by the fact that the problems causing it don’t just go away over time - Teeth can’t heal themselves like skin or bone. Patients can slip into a state of resignation, under the belief that there’s nothing to be done except put up with it.

• Appearance - Impact to facial symmetry and jaw alignment, which causes the face to appear shrunken and makes the individual appear much older, affecting their confidence and relationships.

• Nutrition - As the bite strength of the individual declines, weakness and pain when eating impacts their diet and can often prevent them from eating food they may enjoy, whilst misalignment of the jaw can cause additional pain where the jawbone meets the skull.

• Speech - We depend on our teeth to form certain sounds whilst speaking, and missing teeth can impact your ability to communicate clearly and confidently, causing slurring and lisping.

• Hygiene - If pain, sensitivity or damage to teeth is present, it’s a natural reaction to avoid giving their mouth a thorough ‘going-over’ with a toothbrush, which further worsens a dental dilemma and risks some uncomfortable social situations.

Break free of the Dental Dilemma

Thanks to advancements in modern dentistry, the effects of tooth loss are reversible.

Successful installation of dental implants, bridges or dentures can prevent the knock-on effects discussed above, especially if introduced at the earlier stages of tooth loss, providing sound support to the teeth either side of the gap, maintaining bite strength, jaw alignment and bone structure.

We implore you not to tolerate the negative effects, and instead find a way to benefit from these advancements. The best way to understand your options and decide on the most appropriate course of action, is to have the conversation with your dentist.

Yes, it can be difficult; you may have feelings of embarrassment about your dental health, or anxieties may arise over entering a dental practice to endure treatments and recovery times, but try to remind yourself that you’re taking the first step towards a solution. Your dentist has dedicated years of study to provide the relief you deserve, and the dental issues will not resolve on their own, only worsen.

It's important to consider all treatment options and make yourself aware of not just the monetary cost of a treatment, but the physical and mental costs of avoiding treatment too. Our social media channels Instagram and Facebook are good ways to see the positive impact seeking out treatment has on our customers.

A viable solution to your problem may be out there if you just ask the questions. So please book an appointment online with one of our dentists or call 01618203477 and find the answer to your dental dilemma.