Most of us don't give a second thought to our abilities to eat, drink or speak. These things are all made possible because of our teeth! These tasks can become challenging should we prematurely lose a tooth, or several. This can be due to periodontal disease, tooth decay or by accident.
The good news is that dental technology can help us quickly and effectively, should we need to replace our missing teeth. You can accomplish this by getting partial or full dentures. You would get partial dentures if you are missing only one or two teeth, and full dentures are used when all of your natural teeth are missing in either the upper or lower jaw.
Advantages of Dentures
Dentures offer many benefits, the most obvious advantage is that they greatly improve the look of your smile. Having missing teeth can really affect the aesthetics of your smile, and if you feel self-conscious every time you open your mouth, dentures can help you get your confidence back. Dentures look just like your natural teeth, so you can talk and smile freely without fear.
Besides the aesthetics, there are more pressing issues involved when you are missing teeth.
Bone Loss
Having missing teeth over a long period of time also causes the loss of bone density in the jaw. All bones need stimulation to maintain the correct levels of bone density, and in the jaw this stimulation is caused by the action of chewing. When these teeth are missing, the jawbone starts to deteriorate. Depending on how many teeth are missing, this can lead to the structure of your face to collapse.
Crooked Teeth
Missing teeth cause the other teeth in your jaw to shift and move. This is because all of your teeth work in tandem to support each other and if a few are missing, your teeth become crooked and lose their position in your mouth. Biting and chewing will also cause them to shift or lean. This can cause other problems like excessive wear, misaligned bite, and crooked teeth are harder to clean so you have a greater chance of developing tooth decay. When your teeth are constantly moving around, this can also cause uncomfortable pain in your jaw.
Trouble Eating
Missing teeth, especially molars, can make it quite difficult to properly chew your food. Hard foods like apples, nuts and other healthy foods will become almost impossible for you to eat without experiencing pain. Softer foods are often more processed and have less nutritional value. If you are eating these types of food often, this can lead to further health complications to your immune system.
Dentures are one of the most cost-effective solutions to having missing teeth. Of course, there are other options available, like veneers, but these are often much more expensive and take longer to implement than dentures. Replacing your missing teeth with dentures can improve the appearance of your smile and positively impacts your oral and overall health.
Contact Hayven Dentures in St. Catherines if you have questions about how dentures can be a solution for you.
