If you are like most people, you know how important a beautiful smile is. However, a lot of people worry about how their mouth looks. Also, the appearance of your smile and teeth can impact your confidence level. However, beyond the essential of a bright smile is the significance of your teeth. Your teeth are necessary for a lot of reasons, apart from chewing and speaking.
A family dentist in Upland, CA will tell you that missing teeth impact your ability to eat food and your facial shape and jawline. It can lead to jawbone loss and even facial collapse. Plus, not having some teeth is often emotionally tough and painful. Keep reading to learn more about how missing teeth can impact your face and jawline:
Facial Collapse
Each tooth in the jawbone is important for your facial shape. Losing at least one molar might not impact how you eat or speak that much. However, your jawbone will feel the tooth loss, experiencing bone loss. Losing one tooth or more will lead to slower atrophy than missing a lot of teeth. However, increased jawbone atrophies will lead to more tooth loss.
If you have missing teeth, your jawbone cannot support your facial structure, which relies on a healthy jawbone to support your teeth. eventually, your facial structure will collapse. As a result, your face can look sunken or shorter than normal. Also, it will lead to the muscles around the lips deteriorating, leading to the formation of wrinkles and an old look.
In addition, jawbone resorption can lead to the reduction of the space between your chin and nose. Your face’s lower portion will partially collapse, changing its look and structure.
Changed Jawline Alignment and Shape
Addressing the underlying cause of a dental issue protects your facial structure, overall mouth health, and self-confidence. When you begin losing teeth, they shift around in the mouth to accommodate the gap created. The shift of your teeth will change your jawline’s shape and alignment. Then, your jawline begins to sag and your facial muscles do not have the support they need, resulting in facial sagging and collapsing. As a result, your jawline changes, making you look older than your age. When your jawline looks weaker, you can have a less happy appearance. You will look like you are always frowning. Also, this will begin impacting your confidence level and ability to speak up or smile in photos.
