The effects of losing teeth on our facial appearance in Leicester

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Article by Dr Raha Sepehrara
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Undeniably, losing teeth not only affects our mood and our confidence, but also changes our facial features, which only adds up to the things that stress us out, after we have missing teeth. Therefore, it is paramount to look after our teeth to avoid changes in our facial appearance if we lose them. The best way we can look after our teeth is by making sure we regularly see the dentist, but more importantly, regularly see the hygienist to make sure the bacteria doesn’t invade underneath the gums, allowing bone loss to occur and rust in the loss of teeth.

Why Do we Lose Teeth?

One of the reasons of tooth loss is diet. Having a sugary diet can cause decay in the teeth that may not be salvageable; hence, lose it eventually. This loss of teeth can create many problems, from dissolving away the bone structure, leading to loss of the support for the face and giving an increased appearance of age, and wrinkles. Also by losing teeth we put more pressure on other teeth which can bear stresses on our existing teeth when chewing.

One way to maintain the bone is by having possible dental implants. For example, if you loose one single tooth and nothing is done in this area the bone will decrease over time. By having a dental implant in this area will help to preserve the bone as long as the implant is looked after by good oral hygiene, and seeing a hygienist regularly.

How Does the Facial Appearance Changes?

We see many patients in the clinic who have lost all of their teeth and have worn dentures for a number of years. When they remove the dentures we can see how their facial appearance changes by the vertical height of their face being decreased, and their lips being sunken in, as well as being evident with wrinkles and sagging lips. This can be addressed by having well-constructed dentures that allows to increase the vertical dimension of the mouth, meaning they don’t have a sunken look as well as trying to create fuller lips.

When we loose all of our teeth it makes us look older and of course we see many patients who do not wish this. One way of trying to maintain the bone in the jaw is by having a dental implant. If well-looked after, the bone can be stabilized in the area where the implant is placed. Therefore, dental implants can be used to replace missing teeth so we can maintain the valuable facial bone. It is best to have dental implants within the first few months of when someone has lost a tooth or teeth. That said; most bone loss occurs in the first years following extractions, and by delaying excessively, if you want implants when we’ve lost a tooth, can mean that we may require some form of bone grafting.

Loosing teeth is not necessarily the end of the world. There are options available that can bring back your wonderful smile and confidence. Straight Teeth Suite has all the answers to your question in regards missing teeth, so either feel free to download the Free Missing Teeth Guide, or Contact us to book your first FREE consultation, where we can go through the options and decide on the best for you! However, if you are more into a personal contact, you can always call us on 01509 323420!

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The Dental Suite clinics in Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham have proudly served the East Midlands for over 20 years and counting. Find your nearest Dental Suite and get in touch to arrange an appointment.

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The Dental Suite
Nottingham
67 Melton Rd,
West Bridgford,
Nottingham,
NG2 6EN

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The Dental Suite
Leicester
7-9 Rutland Street,
Leicester,
LE1 1RB

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The Dental Suite
Loughborough
27 Park Rd,
Loughborough,
LE11 2ED

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