It’s no surprise that losing teeth can have a drastic effect on oral health. Missing teeth can have an effect on your jawbone, surrounding teeth, gum health, and even your facial structure. Treating tooth loss is essential to avoid all of the potential risks associated with missing teeth. Fortunately, modern treatment options like dental implants go above and beyond what traditional treatments like dentures can do for someone’s smile. The dental implants are fused to the patient’s jawbone, making them as stable as natural teeth. Restoring your smile can not only affect your oral health, but it can affect your mental health as well. Today, Dr. Andrew Mortensen is blogging from Fountain Valley, CA to discuss the link between mental health and missing teeth.
Effects of Missing Teeth on your Mind
Having feelings of depression or embarrassment after losing teeth is not uncommon. A study found that 86% of dentists report social embarrassment as one of the biggest problems associated with tooth loss. That same study also found that more than half of these patients dealing with social embarrassment will actually avoid social interaction due to missing teeth. Smiling is one of the most basic forms of communication between two people, so feeling uncomfortable with your smile can have detrimental effects on your relationships with others. Your relationships between family, friends, and co-workers can all be hindered by the discomfort and embarrassment you feel due to your smile. With this in mind, the research that links your emotional well-being with your oral health proves that taking care of your teeth is more important than just having a nice smile.
Many patients with missing teeth will suffer from post-traumatic effects that will wreak havoc on your emotional well-being. Dentist report that losing a tooth can be almost like losing a limb or a death of a family member for many patients. Patients can experience the grieving process just as they would with any other traumatic event in their live.
Grieving Tooth Loss
- Denial: Patients will deny or ignore missing teeth.
- Anger: Missing teeth can cause patients to be angry and to find someone or something to blame for their loss.
- Depression: This stage is extremely common for those who have experienced tooth loss. Feeling hopeless and extreme sadness will affect all aspects of a patient’s life.
- Acceptance: At this stage, patients will come to terms with their missing teeth and deal with the problem head on. Your next step should be acknowledge the problem and use dental implants to solve the issue.
Contact Our Office
Dealing with tooth loss isn’t just about oral health, but it can have dire consequences on your mental state as well. If you’ve experienced feelings of hopelessness and are ready to restore your smile, contact our office. Start the first step to gaining a confident smile by scheduling your free, no-obligation consultation today!