Unfortunate incidents can cause you to lose several teeth. Most people think about how missing teeth affects their smile. However, it affects more than just your appearance. Missing teeth can influence your daily life. You may have problems with your general health, a change in appearance and a decrease in your self-esteem.

It helps to understand the role that your teeth play in your mouth and the consequences of tooth loss. Read on to find out how missing teeth affect more than just the way you look:

Change In Your Bite

When you lose your teeth, it disturbs the connection between your bone and teeth. This results in your gum and bone not getting enough stimulation. Your jawbone starts to shrink, and your gums pull back from your teeth. It can also change your bite, which results in the jaw slanting to one side. Ultimately, the missing space will cause your neighboring teeth to collapse. You may have problems with teeth from the opposite jaw growing into the gap as well.

Cause Problems With Digestion

When your bite changes, it changes the way you chew. You may chew on one side of your mouth or have problems with thoroughly chewing your food. Digestion starts with your mouth. If you cannot chew your food well, then it can cause frequent choking and acid reflux.

Affects Your Speech

Tooth loss can affect your speech. You may start to slur certain words. Your front teeth and the movement of your tongue helps with making pronunciations. If your front teeth are missing, then it is going to take more work to say the words. It also changes the ease in which you say the word. You may find yourself lisping and spitting just to say a word.

Replace Your Teeth

If you do lose one or more tooth, then you should consider cosmetic dentistry. Dental implants can make your bite stronger and help with avoiding other problems. They must go inside of your jawbone. You are going to need adequate jaw bone and healthy gum tissues to be considered a candidate.

Your smile is the first thing that strangers notice. If you have missing teeth, then you may try to hide your smile. It is important to maintain good oral health. If not, you could lose your teeth and need to wear dentures. You should make an appointment with a dentist today. A dental office like Kenneth Schweizer DDS PA can help you with improving your smile.