If you’ve lost one or more teeth in Scarsdale, you may be wondering if it’s worth it to replace your tooth. Teeth replacements like dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants can be expensive, after all. Is it really worth it?
The answer is “yes.” You should always replace missing teeth as soon as you can. Why? To explain, let’s look at the changes that may affect your mouth and your lifestyle if you choose not to replace your teeth at Scarsdale Smiles.
Losing a tooth means that the nearby teeth will start to shift toward the empty socket to try to close the gap. This could ruin the alignment of your teeth and your bite, leading to further problems with your oral health and changes to the appearance of your smile.
When you lose a tooth, the jaw bone underneath the area will no longer be stimulated when you bite and chew. This causes it to weaken in a process called “bone resorption.”
This can cause changes to your facial structure and appearance, particularly if you’ve lost multiple teeth. The only way to prevent this is with dental implants. Dental implants strengthen and stimulate the jaw bone just like natural teeth, and will preserve your oral health and appearance.
You may not feel comfortable smiling, eating, speaking, or laughing around others if you’ve lost multiple teeth, due to the social stigma associated with tooth loss. This may make you feel self-conscious, and can cause difficulties both in your personal and professional life.
Losing a single tooth may not change that much about your chewing ability, but losing a few teeth or multiple teeth in the same area can seriously impair your ability to chew. For example, if you’re missing several front teeth, it will be harder to bite into foods like apples.
Or, if you’re missing a few rear teeth, it will be harder to chew and grind tough foods like certain cuts of meat, or fibrous vegetables like celery or broccoli. Depending on the extent of your tooth loss, it may be hard or impossible to eat certain foods.
Losing teeth doesn’t just affect your appearance and your ability to chew, but also your ability to speak. Particularly if you’ve lost a lot of your teeth, your speech may sound “slushy” and slurred, and it may be harder to enunciate and speak clearly.
Dr. Alexander Cox is an expert in restorative dentistry in Scarsdale. If you’ve lost one or more teeth, the team at Scarsdale Smiles is here to help you get the dental care you need, and to discuss all of your options for tooth replacement. Contact us online or give us a call at (914) 723-1186 to get started right away.
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