When you lose a tooth, you literally lose a part of yourself. As an adult tooth, it won’t grow back, and as part of a larger set, its loss will resonate throughout the rest of your oral health, as well. Fortunately, you have a wide variety of options for restoring your smile after losing teeth, such as dental implants that support any form of replacement teeth. However, unless you understand what tooth loss actually takes away from your smile, you might not be as motivated to do something about it as soon as possible, and your hesitation could make matters worse.
Missing Teeth and More
Confidence
Next to language, and your eyes, your smile is one of your most effective communication tools. In an instant, a smile can convey happiness, joy, satisfaction, and confidence. It can also betray timidity and a lack of self-esteem in those who don’t smile as confidently. Missing teeth are among the more powerful reasons for smile shyness, and tooth replacement is the most effective way to gain your confidence back.
Support
If you count the last four wisdom teeth that are often extracted, a typical adult mouth grows 32 permanent teeth. After wisdom tooth extraction, 28 remain to bite, chew, and grind your food, and to support each other as they do so. When you lose a tooth other than one of your third molars, the teeth around it lose the support it offered, and can drift towards the empty space as a result.
Stability
Though teeth support each other, they’re sustained by your jawbone, which surrounds your teeth’s roots and feeds them nutrients through their root canals. Losing a tooth, and its root, means your jawbone has one less tooth to feed, so your body will send it fewer nutrients. Unfortunately, the deficiency causes the bone to grow weaker, and over time, you’re risks of further tooth loss will significantly increase.
ABOUT YOUR ARLINGTON HEIGHTS DENTIST:
Dr. Brent Engelberg and his highly-skilled team proudly serve patients and their families from Arlington Heights, IL, and all surrounding communities, including; Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, and the Northern and Northwest Chicago Suburbs. To learn more, schedule a consultation online, or call our office today at 847-259-8030.
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