Teeth are important. But keeping your teeth is something many people never think about until it’s often too late. Beyond chewing and talking or smiling, our teeth play an important role in how we perceive ourselves and how other people see us. It’s not uncommon for someone missing some teeth to be judged by their peers, strangers, and most harshly themselves. The internal struggle, stress, and depression that missing teeth can lead to is real.
If you’re missing one or more teeth, have persistent oral pain, or have unsightly damaged and discolored teeth, have no fear! There are options. Let’s take a look at some of the ways tooth problems can lead to mental health struggles and how to avoid them.
Missing Teeth Wear on the Mind
It’s no mystery that missing teeth can be incredibly embarrassing. Your mind will start to play tricks on itself where you experience things like:
- fear people around you are staring at your missing teeth and judging you
- avoiding smiling for fear your missing teeth will be noticed
- fear of going on job interviews or dates
- shame that you didn’t take care of your teeth better
- anger at poor genetics or diet that lead to your missing teeth
- never smiling for photos
- changing your smile to not show teeth
- avoiding talking with people you don’t know well
- and so much more.
No matter how old you are, missing teeth are tough and in ways beyond chewing solid foods. There is clear and notable stress placed on the mind when you’re in fear or ashamed of yourself. Tooth problems are no different.
But there is good news. Missing one or more teeth is something your dentist can treat.
Missing Teeth Are Replaceable
It’s not the end of the road if you’re missing a tooth or need to have one (or more) extracted by your dentist. Given enough time for healing, your dentist will want to establish a treatment plan within your budget and desired time frames. To put it simply, all teeth are replaceable and something like a dental implant is a new permanent tooth. There are other options as well your dentist will discuss with you but implant surgery is one of the most effective.
Beyond chewing solid food your teeth and smile are something to be proud of. When you don’t smile in public because of your teeth, how can you really enjoy or laugh at anything? You can’t.
Missing molars may not be visible to passersby but they will then make it difficult to chew properly. So whether we are talking about the mental health toll of missing teeth or the physical problems that arise from it, getting a dentist visit scheduled is the first step in addressing the issue.
Call a Coney Island Dental Implant Specialist
There are dentists all over the city and here in Kings County, but you want to be sure you’re using the most qualified team for this sort of thing. Dental implants, crowns, and veneers require a more specialized skill set and training than traditional cleaning visits to a dentist. So knowing you can trust your new teeth and smile to the right dentist might not be that straightforward with many competing dentists around.
We’ve proudly served Coney Island, NY for over 40 years and we help over 4,000 patients achieve the smile of their dreams yearlyCall us today and schedule an appointment to discuss your tooth replacement procedure choices for your particular situation. We are not a copy and paste dentist, we provide personalized care that takes into account you as an individual.
Call today!