Emergency Dentist: Knowing When to Call

« Back to Home

Three reasons why it's important to replace your missing teeth with dentures

Posted on

Teeth can be lost for any number of reasons; they can be dislodged as a result of a blow to the face, can break and fall out after a person bites down on a particularly hard food, or be lost as a result of gum disease. If you have lost one or more of your teeth, here are three reasons why you should have them replaced with dentures as soon as possible:

To prevent digestive problems

The primary purpose of teeth is to break large pieces of food into smaller pieces so that when these food particles reach the stomach, they can be easily digested by the acids in this part of the body.

Food which is not thoroughly chewed before it travels down to the stomach can result in several uncomfortable and unpleasant digestive issues, including, but not limited to, heartburn, bloating, and belching.

Unfortunately, if you are missing several teeth, it will be extremely difficult for you to chew your food sufficiently and as such, you will almost certainly begin to suffer from digestive problems.

This issue can, however, be easily rectified by having your dentist create a set of dentures to replace your absent teeth.

To prevent nearby teeth from 'drifting'

When a tooth is lost, the surrounding teeth have a tendency to move towards the area of the mouth where the tooth was once located. This can lead to the person developing a misaligned bite, where the upper teeth no longer fit neatly over the lower set.

This, in turn, can interfere with a person's ability to chew their food (and thus cause the digestive problems mentioned above). It may also affect the appearance of their mouth and jaw, potentially to such an extent that it leaves them feeling self-conscious about speaking or eating in front of others.

You can avoid this issue entirely, simply by getting a set of dentures fitted within a few weeks of losing your teeth. If you wait longer than this and your teeth have already started to drift, you may need to wear braces for a period of time, to move the existing teeth back into their original positions, before you can get dentures.

To improve your appearance

It is a harsh reality of life that appearances matter; people have a tendency to draw conclusions about an individual's lifestyle and character based on what that person looks like.

Whilst, as explained above, teeth can be lost for a wide range of reasons, missing teeth are often assumed to be a sign of poor dental hygiene or ill health.

As such, if you do not want to have to worry about other people forming negative opinions about you based on your lack of teeth, it might be worth having a set of dentures fitted to disguise their absence.


Share