Tooth loss immediately and drastically changes the state of your smile—both aesthetics and functionality. In this short article our Novato dentists are talking about ways that tooth loss impacts dental wellness. You may be surprised at just how far-reaching the effects of tooth loss can be…
Dental Alignment
In the days after you lose a tooth, you may find that your smile is looking a little different than it used to—what’s happening? Well, in many cases, your natural teeth are shifting along your gumline. Every tooth helps to support the teeth adjacent to it. Once a tooth is gone the foundational structure of your smile is undermined, and you’ll likely notice crooked or crowded parts of your smile as a result.
Jawbone
Losing a tooth means losing a tooth root as well as the visible dental crown. A healthy tooth root is an important component of your dental structure—it bolsters strong jawbone tissue, and supports healthy gums. Unfortunately, tooth loss can cause your jawbone tissue to weaken over time.
Additional Tooth Loss
Once you have experienced tooth loss, you want to pursue prompt treatment in order to minimize your risk of additional loss and damage down the road. Low jawbone density, for example, if left unchecked, can make it likely that additional teeth will fall out in the years to come. High quality restorative care will not only make your smile look whole again, it will also support the underlying structure of your oral maxillofacial structure.
Tooth loss can be absolutely devastating for your oral health. The good news is that it doesn’t have to stay that way. Contact our Novato dental implant dentists to get more information about the restorative treatments available to you. Thanks to modern dentistry, you can smile confidently, even after dental trauma!