How Tooth Loss can Affect your Appearance

If you’ve recently had a tooth extracted, you’ve been able to free yourself from a burdensome problem that you may have had for a long time. Now that the procedure is complete, you might wonder if you can just go through life with one less tooth.

You can, but doing so could have some pretty negative consequences. For one, tooth loss will actually affect the shape of your face, negatively impacting your appearance. If you want to know why that is, here’s a guide that can tell you more.

WHY CAN TOOTH LOSS AFFECT YOUR FACE SHAPE?

Your body is incredibly adept at making use of its finite nutrients in the most effective way possible. When you lose a tooth, the portion of the jaw that once held it is no longer being used, and your body will allocate its resources elsewhere. When it does that, the jawbone will begin to shrink.

HOW DOES JAW SHRINKAGE AFFECT APPEARANCE?

Your face works almost like a tent, where the jaw supports the skin, holding it up. Shrinkage in the jaw means your face has less support, which can cause premature wrinkles and what looks like a perpetual frown.

Bone loss can also cause your teeth to move, pushing them into the gaps in your smile. As a result, tooth loss patients can see their teeth come out of alignment.

HOW DO I PREVENT TOOTH LOSS FROM AFFECTING MY SMILE?

The best way to prevent bone loss is to make use of the jaw. Dental implants are the only tooth replacement option that can do that effectively; surgical implants are placed in the jaw, incentivizing the body to send nutrients back into it.

If you’ve already lost a fair amount of bone, your dentist can also perform a bone graft, which can give the implant more support and improve the shape of your face.

Dental implants also have the benefit of looking and feeling incredibly realistic, meaning that they can not only improve the shape of your face, but make you actually look better than you did before!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Ben Tindal is a prosthodontist with a true passion for his work. He strives to treat every patient as if they were his own family; giving them the highest quality care, while treating them with compassion and respect. Dr. Ben Tindal graduated from the University of Florida, where he received recognition from the American College of Prosthodontics for his undergraduate work.

If you have any questions about how tooth loss can affect your appearance, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (941) 260-1199.