Needless to say, tooth loss can cause you all sorts of woes and problems; difficulty eating, speaking, and embarrassing gaps in your smile are just a few of these. However, did you know that missing teeth can also change the very shape and structure of your face, and even make you look older? But luckily, modern dentistry is able to effectively address this issue through means such as dental implants. Keep reading to learn a little more about how tooth loss can negatively impact your facial structure, along with how dental implants are the perfect solution.
How Does Tooth Loss Impact Facial Structure?
When you’re missing teeth, regardless of the cause, you’re left with noticeable gaps in your smile. These gaps don’t just affect the way you speak, bite, chew, and grin, but they also influence the very structure of your face. This is because when tooth loss occurs, it leaves those areas of the jawbone void of the stimulation they’d normally receive from the roots of your natural teeth.
Your jaw actually needs this stimulation to remain healthy and vital—and it also plays a role in the shape of your face! If your jawbone doesn’t receive sufficient stimulation from your teeth, which occurs naturally as you bite and chew, it’ll start to shrink and your face will eventually begin to appear sunken and gaunt, which will make you seem much older than you actually are. You’ll potentially experience changes in facial angles, wrinkles, thinning lips, cheek jowls, and might even inherit a chronic frowning appearance!
What Makes Dental Implants the Ideal Solution?
Luckily, modern dentistry can offer many solutions for addressing tooth loss and the associated change in facial structure, such as dental implants. If you’ve heard of dental implants, than you likely know all about how incredible they are when it comes to replacing missing teeth. Since they’re surgically embedded into the jawbone, they can restore teeth from roots-to-crown and provide lasting, unmatched stability.
By mimicking the roots of your natural teeth, they’re able to provide the jawbone with a healthy level of stimulation that prevents it from deteriorating and impacting the shape of your face! As a result, dental implants can undeniably help patients restore their smiles and retain a more youthful appearance. And better yet, since the implants are designed as a permanent solution, you’ll enjoy a fresher and fuller face for several years to come!
No one should ever have to settle for an unsatisfactory smile—and if you have gaps in your smile, you shouldn’t have to live with all of the problems associated with missing teeth such as facial collapse. With that in mind, don’t hesitate to consider opting for dental implants if you’re set on smiling and looking younger for the foreseeable future.
About the Practice
The team at Moreno & Young Dental has proudly served patients and families in the Bellingham, WA area for several years. The practice is helmed by the incredible duo of Dr. Ronald Moreno and Dr. John Young. Their practice is thrilled to offer a wide range of services including restorative options like dental implants. If you have any questions about dental implants or would like to arrange a visit to see if they’re a suitable solution for your smile, don’t hesitate to contact the practice online or by phone for additional assistance: (360) 676-0642.