As we lose teeth throughout our lives, it’s easy to let it pass without much thought, and assume that life with missing teeth is just the “new normal”. We might think it’s not a big deal, that having and using our teeth is such a small part of our lives that there’s no need to address the fact that we don’t have the smile we once had. In the big picture, having teeth may not seem that important, and we may even feel that desiring a full, functional and attractive smile is just vain.
But letting your smile go without fixing it can be bad for you in ways you may not have considered. Living with missing teeth really is an important issue that can affect your health – and the way you interact with the world – and it can change your quality of life for the worse.
First, let’s look at the health reasons. Missing teeth that are not replaced can create an environment in the mouth that can lead to a range of health difficulties.
As you know, good nutrition and digestion are both important to overall health. If your teeth are missing, you may not be able to chew a variety of nutritious foods that provide the vitamins and nutrients necessary for good health. This can lead to several different maladies that are uncomfortable at best, such as problems with digestion, saliva production, and gas. If your eating habits are affected for long enough, you may experience malnutrition, obesity, diabetes, and even depression.
When you eat without teeth or dentures, you’re using the structure of your mouth in an unnatural way, so your gums and jaw may become damaged, will have to work harder and may become sore and irritated. This can also lead to gum infections, muscle pain, and TMJ. Missing teeth also create space for your remaining teeth to shift and become loose or crooked – this can be a big problem for your bite and may lead to a struggle to chew and speak properly, as well as making it more likely that your remaining teeth will be lost.
All of these problems are bad enough, but physical health issues are just a part of what makes living without teeth or dentures a difficult path.
If you go through life with missing teeth and don’t take advantage of the many dentures options available, you’re also setting yourself up to have a worse quality of life, and perhaps even mental health struggles.
We don’t always see how something as “minor” as a full, functional set of teeth can affect us – either negatively or positively. But going through your daily life with missing teeth will change how you interact with others. You may become self-conscious about your appearance, and find yourself unwilling to smile, speak or laugh in public. Your ability to speak properly is hampered, so your communication with others may suffer. Going out to eat could be a real struggle as you may have lost your ability to chew food, and you may no longer feel desirable. Without an attractive, functioning smile, you could miss out on all life’s fun, small moments. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
So, you want to avoid the physical and mental health challenges that can come with not having teeth – but what can be done? The good news is that we at Changing Smiles have all the best dental implant and denture options you need to regain the function and beauty of your smile. You can get your attractive, confident smile back!
Call us today and set up a free consultation with our team. We will discuss your needs, find the best option for you, and get you back into life! Dentures and implants from Changing Smiles can help to change your life…so get started now!
At Changing Smiles, we offer free consultations for anyone considering dental implants.
We’ll perform an oral exam to make sure you’re a candidate for implants and give you a detailed treatment plan. If you’re interested, then don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule your appointment.