Reviews
Your pearly whites may not get a lot of thought other than when you are cleaning them or if they ever cause you any discomfort. However, they play a big part in your everyday life. Of course, your teeth allow you to enjoy your favorite foods and speak clearly but did you know they are what gives your face shape? This is most noticeable when people have missing teeth; it can begin to greatly impact their facial appearance. Here’s what to know about tooth loss and face shape, and how your dentist can restore both!
How Does Tooth Loss Affect Face Shape?
Having an incomplete smile due to tooth loss can really impact your quality of life. It’s harder to eat, thus impacting your nutrition. Also, a gapped smile can make you feel less confident and negatively affect your social life. Unfortunately, it can even begin to change the appearance of your face. Here’s how even missing one tooth can alter how you look:
- Facial angles – The length of the jawbone is affected by tooth loss, resulting in lowering facial height. Changes in the angles of the face can also make the face appear sunken or hallowed.
- Facial wrinkles– Without teeth adding fullness to a face, more vertical lines are formed, resulting in a more aged appearance.
- Sagging jowls – Missing teeth causes the muscle ligaments in the face to weaken, resulting in the sagging of facial tissue in the cheeks.
- Thinning lips – Teeth contribute to the fullness of lips. They will appear thinner with tooth loss.
- Frown appearance – People can often appear unhappy or angry without their teeth shaping their mouth.
- Bite pattern – Tooth loss causes changes in how the upper and lower teeth come together. The deterioration of a bite pattern can cause the corners of the mouth to lose shape, creating a harsher facial expression.
How Your Dentist Can Restore Your Smile and Your Face Shape
Fortunately, there are many tooth replacement options, so no one has to live with an incomplete smile and have their face shape changed! One of the most reliable, lifelike, and durable tooth options is dental implants. They are bonded to the jawbone using biocompatible titanium steel posts. Unlike other restorations, they replace the entire tooth structure, from root to crown.
Since they closely replicate natural teeth so closely, they can successfully restore your appearance! They can help return the fullness to your face and help strengthen your facial features. The roots of your teeth activate your jawbone whenever you bite or chew. When a tooth is lost, the jawbone loses circulation, causing it to deteriorate over time. Since dental implants replace the root of your teeth, they stimulate blood flow in the jawbone, keeping it strong and healthy—thus maintaining your face shape. Over time, your jawbone will naturally integrate with the posts, forming a bond that is as strong as the pearly whites you were born with.
Whether you have one or more missing teeth, your facial structure can be negatively impacted. However, with the help of your dentist and tooth loss solutions like dental implants, your smile and your face can be restored!
About the Practice
The Smilist Dental Medford keeps the smiles of Medford whole, healthy, and beautiful through their team of dental experts. They offer a multitude of comprehensive dental services, including dental implants. With in-house placement, customized plans, and advanced dental technology, they can successfully restore your missing teeth and your appearance. To schedule a consultation, contact them through their website or call (631) 286-9000.