What’s the real impact of losing a tooth? Having a gap in your smile doesn’t look great for sure – unless you are planning a career as a pirate – so aesthetics is part of it.
Underneath the surface, the body is shifting and changing to accommodate the lost tooth and not in a good way. Our jawbone needs the tiny taps it gets every day from tooth roots to keep growing. This gives it the message that it’s needed in this location and to keep renewing itself. Once the tooth is gone, the jaw isn’t receiving this message anymore.
The body believes bone is no longer needed here and starts to dissolve, so the nutrients can be used elsewhere. Intelligence at work – but not so great for your facial structure. Jawbone loss often leads to that sagging face look, which can make you look older than you are.
Surrounding teeth can also drift into the gap left by the lost tooth, and even become loose themselves over time.
Having a missing tooth also affects how you eat and the nutrition you can take in. You may chew in a lop-sided fashion to compensate for the lost tooth, put uneven pressure on your other teeth, causing them to wear out more quickly. And if it means that you have to avoid certain chewy or crunchy foods – such as raw vegetables and fruit, your nutrition levels are going to suffer too.
As you can see, there are quite a few consequences to living with a missing tooth. And the more you lose, the greater the impact.
That’s why at Harley Street Dental Clinic, we offer dental implants to address the problem of missing teeth. While other replacement methods such as dentures or bridges restore the look of your teeth, they can’t bring back the biting and chewing ability that dental implants in Harley Street can. Implants replace the root as well as the crown, creating a secure and durable restoration. This means you can eat what you like, and your facial structure is maintained.
Drop in and book your free consultation at our clinic in Harley Street. Dental implants don’t just look good, they give you back fully functioning teeth.