Will Missing Teeth Affect My Appearance?

No matter how you’ve lost a tooth, it can be stressful. You might be concerned about a few things, including how missing a tooth will affect your appearance.

As it turns out, the relationship between missing teeth and facial structure is complicated and depends on several factors. If you want to know how tooth loss will affect how you look, here’s a guide that can tell you more about that, and what you can do about the issue.

Can Tooth Loss Affect Appearance?

Your face is incredibly complex, and its shape depends on a wide variety of factors. One important component is how your teeth support your lips and cheeks. By losing a tooth, your face has a little bit less support, which can affect how you look.

The issue’s made worse by another aspect of missing a tooth: bone loss. When you lose a tooth, your body considers that area of your jaw less important, so it will stop sending it nutrients. Over time that leads to bone shrinkage, which causes the face to sag even further.

When your face starts to sag, it has quite a few effects on your overall appearance. People often say that losing a tooth has made them look older, which makes a lot of sense; their skin has less support, which can cause them to develop wrinkles. The sagging skin can also make it look like you’re frowning or unhappy.

How to Prevent Tooth Loss from Affecting Your Appearance

The best way to stop missing teeth from affecting your appearance is to replace them. Dentures and bridges can put a tooth-like replica in the affected area, but they don’t stop bone loss. As a result, your facial structure can still be affected.

Dental implants, however, can remedy this issue. They secure directly to the jaw, which incentivizes the body to send more nutrients its way.

If you’re concerned about how losing a tooth will affect how you look, dental implants may be a good option for you. In either case, you should talk to your dentist about your concerns; they’ll know what it’ll take to help you.

About the Author

Dr. David Rosenfeld is a dentist who is dedicated to excellence in everything he does, and his patients can see that in the quality of care that he provides. Dr. Rosenfeld is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery in New York City, and he has completed extensive training in cosmetic dentistry and oral implantology. His dedication has earned him the status of Fellowship in the International Congress of Oral Implantology.

If you have any questions about missing teeth, he can be reached at his website or by phone at  (908) 668-7838.