The Negative Impacts of Tooth Loss

Losing a tooth causes more problems than many people realize. Appearance concerns, issues with chewing, and jawbone weakness can all affect your smile after tooth loss. Fortunately, your periodontist, Dr. F. Neal Pylant of Athens, GA, can help restore your missing teeth with dental implants.

7 Consequences of Tooth Loss

The loss of one or more teeth may affect:

  • Chewing: Tearing, grinding, and chewing food becomes difficult after the loss of one tooth. When you've lost multiple teeth, chewing can become quite challenging.
  • Your Appearance: The change in your appearance is the most obvious effect of tooth loss. When you're used to seeing a full set of teeth in the mirror, gaps can be very disconcerting. Tooth loss may also cause your remaining teeth to drift and overlap, altering your smile and causing bite problems.
  • Speech: Your teeth play a crucial role in clear speech. Missing teeth may cause you to slur words or struggle to pronounce certain sounds.
  • Your Self-Esteem: After tooth loss, you may feel less self-confident around other people and may even stop smiling to avoid revealing your teeth.
  • Your Earning Potential: Although you're just as skilled as you were before you lost one or more teeth, gaps in your smile may make it harder to get a new job or advance in your career.
  • Your Health: Your digestive system works better when food is thoroughly chewed before you swallow it. If you can't chew food completely, you may be more likely to experience stomach upset and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Losing all of your teeth can affect your ability to eat a variety of healthy foods and may result in nutritional deficiencies.
  • Your Jawbone: Tooth loss can cause jawbone resorption, a problem that occurs when your jawbone shrinks due to decreased stimulation from tooth roots. Resorption may eventually cause your remaining teeth to loosen and may contribute to facial sagging.

Dental Implants Restore Your Missing Teeth

Your Athens periodontist may recommend dental implants to replace your missing teeth. Implants added to your jawbone serve as synthetic roots and gradually bond to the bone. When combined with dental crowns, they completely restore your smile to its natural state.

The versatile restoration method is an excellent choice no matter how many teeth you've lost and is a good option for most people. Dental implants offer exceptional biting power, feel natural, keep your jawbone strong, and could possibly last for your entire lifetime.

Need Dental Work? Give Us a Call

Would you like to improve your smile with dental implants? If so, call your Athens, GA, periodontist, Dr. F. Neal Pylant, at (706) 543-0026 to schedule an appointment.

Contact Us

F. Neal Pylant, D.M.D., P.C.

Scott Lowry, D.M.D.

706-543-0026

375 Hawthorne Lane Athens, GA 30606-2153