4 Life Changing Things You Need to Know About Tooth Loss

If you have tooth loss, or are at risk of tooth loss you could be at risk for a lot more than losing a tooth. Read below for 4 LifeChanging Things You Need to Know About Tooth Loss:
1. Bone loss – The first thing that happens when teeth are removed is that the bone which surrounds the tooth is lost or resorbed away and the reason for this is that the bone is no longer functioning. Some studies show that as much as 85% of bone is loss in the first year.
2. Premature aging – The result of the bone loss then is that the muscles around the face then begin to sag and collapse. Why does this happen? Well, the muscles around the face are often thought of like a curtain which is supported by the underlying bone and teeth. Once the teeth are lost and the bone is lost or being lost then the muscles no long have any support and thus this leads to a collapse of the face. This can give a premature aging effect with a prominent chin as the bone in the chin does not resorb as much.
3. Reduction in bite force – When you lose your teeth the force with which you can bite your food is significantly reduced. Even losing one or two teeth can result in a 30% loss in the bite force. What this means is that this makes it difficult to chew. You will find yourself taking longer to chew and even avoiding certain food as you are unable to chew them properly. This can also result in other illnesses. As you can imagine, if you can’t chew your food correctly then the amount of nutrition that you can get from the food will be reduced and thus result in stomach and digestive issues.
4. Reduction in life span – This was the biggest surprise to me and I am sure it is to yourself. What can happen is that, as you can imagine, if you have lost your teeth, lost the bone and have a reduced bite force with a reduced ability to chew your food, then you will be unable to get the full nutrition from the food which then has a significant impact on health and in the long term, the quality of life. There are studies which show that people who have had their teeth removed early in life on average live 10 years less than others who have kept their teeth.
Of course there are other issues as well and one of the biggest issues I come across is the emotional aspect. People find it very embarrassing in social situations, especially if they have to take out false teeth when eating at a restaurant. I often get told very emotional stories from people who have struggled to eat their favourite foods or who have felt embarrassed when their grandchildren discovered their false teeth. I can really understand these concerns and it really is not your fault if you have lost your teeth and found yourself in these situations, because you probably were never told how to look after your teeth.