If you have lost a tooth or are looking to improve your misaligned smile, then it could be time to start looking at tooth replacement options. Dentures can be a popular choice in achieving a healthy smile, however, they aren’t a permanent solution and require a lot of maintenance.
Ignoring your dental health can cause your smile to deteriorate. The best and longest lasting tooth replacement option is dental implants. Whether it be a single tooth or a whole set of teeth, dental implants are a fantastic option for those looking to improve their smile. Dental implants can not only complete your smile, but can also improve your overall well-being in a number of aspects.
Improved Speaking And Eating
A missing tooth can cause whistling while speaking and can also make chewing awkward and uncomfortable. Adjusting your smile can greatly improve your eating and speaking, making both more natural. Fill in these gaps with dental implants and watch your speaking and eating greatly improve.
Easier Brushing And Flossing
Navigating a mouth with missing or crooked teeth while brushing and flossing can be a tough task. Overlapping teeth can make it difficult to effectively clean those tight spaces, and missing teeth can cause you to skip the surrounding teeth due to the uncomfortable feeling of brushing an empty slot.
By fixing these imperfections with dental implants you will be able to floss and brush your entire mouth more effectively by eliminating these tough to clean areas.
Less Jaw Stress
Missing or misaligned teeth can cause unwanted stress on your jawbone. Flaws to your smile can create disproportionate pressure on the jawbone, which can lead to headaches and jaw pain. By adjusting your smile with dental implants, stress on the jawbone can be alleviated.
Increased Confidence
Improving your smile can give you a great boost in confidence. A boost in confidence can be that extra kick you need to be at your best at all times. Studies show that test subjects were more drawn to people with straight teeth and complete smiles. While this isn’t the only way people perceive attractiveness, completing your smile with dental implants can give you that extra confidence you need to be at your best.
Better Health Overall
A healthy mouth means a healthy body. One of the risks for untreated dental health is periodontitis, which is linked to a number of other health problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and bacterial pneumonia.
By maintaining proper oral care, you lower your risk of periodontitis, a disease that can lead to tooth loss and other health problems.
What Happens When Your Smile Goes Untreated
Refusing to fix your smile and oral health can come with consequences, the main one being gum disease. Since missing teeth can negatively affect your oral health, it’s important to fix your smile as soon as possible to lessen the risk of gum disease.
Gum Disease
Gum disease is the inflammation of the gum line that can affect the bone surrounding your teeth if not treated properly. You may think gum disease is a singular condition, but it can actually worsen into three stages:
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease where inflammation of the gums is caused by plaque build up around the gumline. Without the removal of plaque through proper brushing and flossing, plaque can irritate the gum tissue, causing gingivitis.
A couple warning signs of gingivitis include bleeding during brushing and flossing, which can be reversed if the individual visits the dentist and changes to a more consistent oral care regimen.
Periodontitis
If gingivitis is untreated, gum disease can progress to periodontitis. During this stage, supporting tissues holding the teeth in place begin to deteriorate. Also, gum pockets grow larger, trapping more food particles and bacteria, and your gums are more prone to bleeding and soreness.
Advanced Periodontitis
The final stage of gum disease is the most severe. During this stage, tissue is destroyed and teeth start to loosen or fall out. Teeth can begin changing in alignment, which can affect bite pressure and the ability to chew comfortably. As your mouth becomes less stable, your diet may begin to change and as it becomes more difficult to eat.
Replacing your missing teeth will ultimately create a healthier environment for your mouth. Since gaps in your mouth can cause a lack of dental care, it’s important to evaluate the risks and understand what a complete smile can do for not only your oral health, but for your health overall.
How We Can Help
At Smile Creator of Bingham Farms, we take pride in providing our patients with the most up to date information regarding dental care. While providing this information is crucial to oral health, it is ultimately up to the individual to make the commitment to bettering their health. We are always welcome to help you on this journey, so please contact us and we will do all we can to assist you on your way to a healthy smile.