Perhaps you’ve recently lost a tooth, and you are wondering why you should bother to replace it with a dental implant. What can it hurt to have a missing tooth, really? However, there are several reasons why you should do something about that lost tooth!
Your health can suffer
If you are missing a tooth, your other teeth will start to move and shift out of place. This can make it harder to keep teeth clean (if they have moved too close together to floss between them), increasing your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Eventually, the muscles in your face and jaw begin to change, which can lead to a painful jaw joint disorder such as TMJ.
Your looks can suffer
As your teeth start to move and your muscles change, the look of your mouth can change. Sagging muscles around the mouth can make you look older than you really are.
Your self-esteem can suffer
Some people aren’t self-conscious at all about that gap in their teeth. However, other people do become very self-conscious whenever they smile, talk, or laugh. Some people find that a missing tooth makes it difficult to speak properly, which can also affect self-esteem.
Your appetite can suffer
Over time, you may not realize that you have to make a special effort to chew so that you avoid the gap in your teeth. To avoid the trouble, you may become very picky about what you eat – eventually avoiding even your favorite foods and foods that are important for your health.
According to some estimates, the average American will have lost 12 permanent teeth by the time they are 50 years old. But even if you have lost this many, there is help available! There are several options to fix this problem, such as a dental implant from the Konig Center for Cosmetic and Comprehensive Dentistry in Houston, Texas. Dental implants are permanent and look and feel like real teeth. They are a great solution to take care of that gap in your teeth before it begins to affect all aspects of your life. Call (713) 668-2289 today to schedule a consultation.
