The Dangers of Eating Without Dentures or Implants
Whether it be through old age or simply not taking care of your oral health properly, losing teeth is perhaps more common than you might think.
Whilst incidences of adult tooth loss have significantly decreased since the 1970’s due to better healthcare, tooth loss does still occur. But, if you’ve experienced tooth loss and haven’t yet done anything to replace them, it’s essential you’re aware of the potential damage you could be causing.
Eating without dentures or implants can be dangerous to not just your mouth, but your body too. Many underestimate the importance of teeth (especially if they’ve just lost one or two), and simply continue eating without them.
Whilst this is extremely tempting and, over time, easy to develop a skill for, it’s important to consider the irreversible damage you could be causing.
Pressure on Gums & Jaw
When chewing food in an area of your mouth without teeth, you’re inadvertently placing an unnatural amount of pressure on your gums and jaw.
Food must be chewed properly to be safely swallowed. And, when teeth are missing, the gums and jaw have to work extra hard to ensure this happens.
In time, the surrounding teeth and gums will become very sore and irritated, significantly increasing your risk of developing infection. Your jawbone will also suffer due to this pressure change, becoming more prone to fractures and permanent joint disorders.
Even softer foods will become more difficult to chew if you continue with this habit, creating a vicious cycle that’s simply not going to resolve unless you replace your missing teeth.
Bone Loss
Whilst only likely to happen if you consistently eat without implants or dentures for a long period of time, the risk of bone loss is definitely something you should take note of.
Using your gums to chew can wear away the corresponding bone ridges of the jawline. Each time you chew, bite or clench on food, the ridge will experience pressure it’s simply not used to. This will cause the bone to eventually recede, resulting in permanent bone loss.
And, to add insult to injury, if bone loss becomes too severe, receiving implants may be unsuccessful as the bone needs to be stable enough to accommodate them.
Gastrointestinal Issues
The risks of eating without teeth stretch further than just the mouth.
Failing to properly chew food to the same degree a full mouth of teeth would can lead to significant gastrointestinal problems once the food reaches the digestive system. If food pieces are simply too big to be broken down properly, this causes ‘incomplete digestion’.
The full nutritional value won’t be absorbed by your body and, once the incompletely-digested food reaches the colon, a much greater volume of bacteria is likely to develop.
The solution?
Replace your missing teeth!
Whilst the above risks are unlikely to occur if you spend a mere couple of weeks eating whilst missing a couple of teeth, they’re almost guaranteed to arise if you leave replacing them for too long.
Here at Aesthetika Dental Studio, we offer extremely durable dental implants specifically designed to look and feel like natural teeth – giving you the freedom to eat whatever you want without any risks!
Get in touch today to discuss treatment options with one of our oral health experts.
Aesthetika Dental Studio.
