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Tooth Loss and
Your Health in Auburn, IN

Living with gaps in your smile due to missing teeth can adversely affect not only your appearance but your overall health and wellness as well. From an increased risk of additional dental problems to a lack of confidence, all areas of your life are impacted.

Read on to learn how tooth loss can impact our health and how dental implants are uniquely designed to combat many of these issues.

Loss of Functionality

Tooth loss can cause problems with speaking and eating. People who have gaps in their smile may find it more difficult to communicate with others. It can also cause problems with chewing, making some foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables off limits. Dental implants are attached directly to the jawbone and act much like natural teeth, restoring full function that may have previously been limited.

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Icon of a tooth with a bullseye covering the top left corner

Increased Risk of Oral Infection

Gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral infections develop more easily when a person is missing one or more teeth. Food tends to get trapped in the gap where a tooth once was, making it hard to properly clean when you brush and floss. Lack of proper cleaning can lead to a range of dental health problems.

Luckily, dental implants offer the most comprehensive benefits out of all tooth replacement options and can help ensure an overall healthier mouth and body.

A Weakening of the Jaw

Through pressure from chewing, a natural tooth’s roots provide stimulation to the jawbone to help it stay strong and healthy. When a tooth is missing the jaw no longer gets this stimulation and begins to deteriorate and lose its shape.

Dental implants offer the only tooth replacement solution that supports the health of the jawbone by preventing further bone loss.

An icon representing a toothache. There is the outline of a face and within that outline is a tooth with lines around it, representing pain or discomfort that we can relieve.
graphic of premature wrinkling

Premature Wrinkling

When teeth are missing and the jawbone begins to lose shape, your facial skin will start to sag, causing premature wrinkling and making you look older than you actually are.

Dental implants help prevent facial wrinkles by protecting the shape of the jaw. If you’ve suffered from tooth loss for a while and have already experienced bone loss, Dr. Heffelfinger offers supplemental treatments that may be able to reverse this effect.

Reduced Self-Confidence

Tooth loss can greatly affect your social life and how you interact with others. Often, people who are missing teeth are self-conscious about showing their smile. It can ultimately ruin their self-confidence, impact close relationships, and even affect their job performance.

Dental implants look and feel natural, restoring your ability to smile again with confidence.

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Anxiety and Unhappiness

Did you know that the simple act of smiling can make you feel happier and more positive? But how can you smile when you’re self-conscious about your missing teeth? It’s no wonder that tooth loss is associated with a greater rate of depression and anxiety.

By replacing missing teeth, dental implants can give you a beautiful, natural-looking smile you’ll want to show to the world. Implants are a reliable, long-lasting, and healthy solution to tooth loss. Doesn’t that make you want to show off your smile?

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