How Missing Teeth Can Change Your Life
West Linn, OR
 It is kind of funny; most of us probably pay very little attention to our teeth on a day to day basis, but the moment we have a problem with them, they can become an all-consuming concern. Our teeth may not always get the recognition that they deserve, but they are an incredibly important part of your mouth. That is why it is so vital to take care of them to the best of your ability.
When you lose a tooth prematurely, it can have far-reaching and long-lasting repercussions that can greatly impact your quality of life. We here at ZenTech Dentistry cannot stress enough the value of good oral hygiene and routine dental appointments to help preserve your teeth and avoid these complications.
Your Bite Force
If you think of your favorite foods, would you describe them as soft and smooth in texture, or hard and crunchy? If you like crunchy, crisp foods, then you need all of your teeth to help you enjoy them properly. Bite force is the effort it takes for you to bite into something or chew it. When you are missing one or more teeth, your bite force can become compromised. This means that your other teeth will be working harder, leading to complications like tooth pain and even further tooth loss.
More Tooth Loss
On the subject of tooth loss, your teeth are more than just attractive components of your smile. They are certainly important to helping you bite and chew, but they also do more than that. They are also placeholders in your mouth. If you lose a tooth, you are at elevated risk of losing more teeth. Tooth loss leads to bone loss in the jaw, weakening the surrounding, remaining teeth. Furthermore, your remaining teeth may start to drift into the vacated spot. This can lead to them becoming loose and, eventually, lost.
The Shape of Your Face
Your face gets much of its structure from your teeth. It would be insincere to imply that the cosmetic aspects of having a full set of teeth are unimportant. The fact is, your teeth do play a big role in your appearance. Without them, your face can start to lose its fullness. This can cause your cheeks to sag and droop and start to look sunken and hollow. For many people, this can be very aging and unattractive.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder
If you are missing teeth, your bite and jaw can quickly become unbalanced. This can cause painful pressure on your remaining teeth. You may not even realize that you are changing the way you bite, chew, and talk to accommodate your missing tooth. Your jaw may soon start to suffer the repercussions of this adaptation, leading to TMJ disorder. This is a painful condition characterized by pain in your jaw and mouth, popping and clicking, and even unexplained headaches and earaches.
If you lose a tooth prematurely, it is extremely vital that you reach out to us immediately to get it replaced. To learn more about the dangers of having missing teeth, or to set up an appointment with us here at [[[CLIENTX:PracticeName]]], please give us a call today at (503) 765-9699. We offer the best teeth replacement options like dental implants, digital dentures, and bridges.
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