From a young age, the importance of brushing our teeth and flossing daily is instilled in us. Maintaining excellent oral and dental hygiene is critical for preventing tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath. If you don’t keep up with your oral hygiene routine, there is a risk that you may lose teeth.
If you lose a tooth, not only will your confidence take a hit, but there are long-term health problems that can occur, such as the ones listed below.
Chronic Pain
If you are missing a tooth, or several, the empty socket can become irritated and sore, resulting in discomfort and pain. Your remaining teeth will be affected by tooth loss, causing them to shift into the area that was once occupied by your tooth. This can cause bite collapse and leave the sensitive roots being exposed to infection. Your healthy teeth will be put at a higher risk of fracturing and breaking as a result. Misaligned teeth can produce pain that can radiate throughout your face, neck, and head.
Difficulty Eating
After you have lost a tooth, you may find it more challenging to chew food. Your eating patterns could be affected, as you can see it here. This could lead to insufficient nutrition if you’re having trouble processing food. A missing tooth can make it harder or painful to swallow food too. Foods that are rich in fibre and vitamins may be hard to chew because of their flesh and crisp skins. Should you ignore healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, this can cause digestion troubles and nutritional deficiencies.
Speech Problems
One of the consequences of losing a tooth in a key area of your mouth is affected speech. If you are finding it difficult to pronounce certain words or you have noticed slurring, this can have a huge knock on your confidence and how you communicate with others. If this is the case, you may want to consider dental implants. Dental bridges and dental implants can fill in the gap and restore your confidence. Sites like Myradental.co.uk can put you in touch with specialists in dental implants Turkey, where you can benefit from low cost treatment plans. They have a range of positive patient reviews and aim to provide the best treatment for patients at competitive prices.
Gum Tissue Damage
When losing a tooth, your risk of gum disease and decay increases. This means that infections are more likely and can spread across your mouth much quicker. If you don’t take action, you could lose more teeth in a shorter period, which can cause further problems down the line and be more expensive to fix. Tips to prevent gum disease include brushing your teeth, flossing, using mouthwash, and seeing your dentist regularly.
Change in Facial Features
Missing teeth can change your appearance and alter the shape of your facial features, resulting in visible sagging that escalates the age of your face. Losing teeth weakens your jaw structure and can cause many problems, such as a fractured jaw.
Losing teeth can have devastating consequences on your health and wellbeing. Thankfully, there are treatments available to replace missing teeth, helping to restore your smile and confidence, and boost your self-esteem.