A lot of people end up losing one, or some, of their teeth over the course of their lives and this can be a traumatic event. A dentist in Edinburgh understands that you might feel a little upset, and no longer quite your whole self, for some time after. Depending on your personal situation, you may lose a lot of confidence in your smile. You may struggle to eat certain foods, especially if they are hard or sharp, which can damage your now exposed and sensitive gums.
All of this can have a terrible impact on your physical and psychological health. To make you aware of these negative associations that missing teeth can have on your body, we educate our patients so that you are inspired to take action and care for yourself in a positive way.
The sooner you seek advice on replacing your missing teeth, and move on to the subsequent procedures, the less your body will be negatively impacted by it. You can quickly get back to your old self, eating food and laughing again with confidence.
What are the negative impacts of missing teeth?
Education is power. Let us get down to the serious impacts that are proven to be associated with missing teeth so that you are able to keep informed, and make the right decision for your oral health.
We know that once a tooth is lost, the teeth around it can begin to shift and twist in an attempt to compensate. As teeth become misaligned, this can lead to further complications as it can weaken the hold that your roots have on your gum and they may become loose.
Your gum tissue that is exposed at the site of the lost tooth is sensitive and can be easily injured from the food that you eat. Cuts can get infected and this can be painful. You may begin to avoid hard or sharp foods as a result which can have an overall negative impact on your health.
What can I do?
You can consider having a dental implant to replace your missing tooth. A dentist in Edinburgh performs a minor surgical procedure to insert a titanium rod in place of your original tooth root. The benefit of this procedure, as opposed to alternatives, is that this will continue to stimulate your jaw bone and encourage it to remain strong.
Alternative options do not do this and unfortunately, people begin to have issues with jaw bone degradation over time. This is a natural response from your body and can cause the face to droop and sag and if you have dentures, you may begin to feel them slipping, which can be uncomfortable.
If you have dentures and have found that they no longer stay in place as they once did, your dentist in Edinburgh will be able to go through some procedures that may be available for you so that you can enjoy your smile more. With a positive mentality, and dedication to improving your oral health, you can have a smile with dental implants that can last you for decades.