Post date: 4th June 2021
Losing teeth doesn’t just cause physical discomfort, it can also cause some severe mental distress. Quite often, the prospect and reality having missing teeth can prevent you from sharing your real smile and can also prevent you from enjoying simple pleasures of certain foods and even chewing. Missing teeth can be caused by a number of factors and probably more common than you may realise. The good news is, you don’t need to shy away or hide your smile as our friendly team at Scottish Centre for Excellence in Dentistry are here to help by offering a range of solutions for missing teeth - boosting not only your smile, but your self-confidence.
There are a number of reasons why you may have missing teeth, with some more preventable than others. You may have missing teeth because of prolonged tooth decay as when you eat or drink something sugary, the bacteria in your mouth produce acid; which causes the decay. If left untreated, it will likely lead to damage and eventually the prospect of losing a tooth or even teeth.
This build-up of bacteria in your mouth can also cause your gums to become inflamed, which is an indicator of gum disease. If left untreated this can lead to your teeth becoming loose or even fall out
Another common reason for missing teeth is due to an injury, where one or more teeth have been broken or come out. This could be down to an accident, something which you may have been at an increased risk of if you participate in contact sports such as rugby, football or hockey.
Sometimes genetics could be the reason behind your absent teeth, inherited conditions can lead to some teeth simply not appearing during the development of your mouth.
In the first instance, missing teeth can impact what you eat, and in extreme cases limit you to foods which don’t necessarily meet your nutritional requirements. Missing teeth can also weaken your jaw, alter your bite and affect your overall gum health.
Our clinicians and practice colleagues are very aware that the impact that missing teeth has on your body stretches beyond the visibly physical. If you have missing teeth, there are a number of psychological effects which can impact your mental health because of the stigma attached to an irregular smile.
Missing a tooth or multiple teeth can make you feel embarrassed and constantly aware of your mouth and smile, meaning that you may be reluctant to smile fully. Over time, this can seriously impact your self-confidence to the point where socialising may be difficult for you because you’re aware of how you look. We understand that this goes beyond just smiling, where even something as simple as socially eating becomes distressing where you feel you have to be conscious of how you’re chewing. Over a period of time this worry can become exhausting and slowly you may start to isolate and avoid socialising because of this.
The loss of function varies depending on whether you are missing a single tooth, or have multiple missing teeth. Whilst this can all sound distressing, we want to reassure you that lots of people have missing teeth and there are number of solutions for both a single missing tooth and multiple missing teeth. Our solutions are tailored to your needs and can boost your confidence and help you smile again.
Dentures are a good solution for replacing multiple missing teeth - they significantly improve the appearance of your mouth and provide the correct support for the muscles in the cheeks and lips. This creates a more youthful appearance and can improve your speech and ability to eat comfortably, boosting your confidence.
Bridges are simple to look after and can be brushed and flossed like any ordinary tooth. This option can be ideal for anybody who wishes to enjoy the sensation of having strong and stable teeth that are not removable. It also serves as an appealing aesthetic choice for one or more missing teeth, as the bridge can be constructed to replace any missing gum tissue using gum coloured porcelain.
Dental implants represent the most stable and permanent solution for missing teeth and have been designed to artificially replace a natural tooth root. Not only are they the most permanent solution, they can be used for both single or multiple missing teeth and they do not rely on the health or use of your surrounding natural teeth.