If you’ve been staring in the mirror and don’t like what you see, it may be time to consider the transformative effect a new denture can have on a smile and on a person’s facial aesthetics. The reality of a gummy smile looking cute usually only applies to babies and toddlers, when their chubby cheeks and rosy red gums can pull-off a toothless grin. In adulthood a gummy smile just doesn’t have the same positive impact and can quickly age a person due to changes in facial contours. If teeth loss has you wondering where your youthful appearance went, read-on to discover how a denture can restore a smile and a person’s vitality.
What Is Midface Collapse?
Midface Collapse is a term used to describe changes to a person’s face, resulting in the chin appearing closer to the nose due to a lack of support and lengthening of tissue around the mouth than is present with natural teeth. The loss of natural teeth closes down a person’s vertical dimension – the space between top and bottom jaws – giving a collapsed appearance that can age a person prematurely. The loss of length between upper and lower arches is also due to bone recession, a natural response to tooth loss that happens gradually over time. When the bone recognizes that there are no teeth to support it, it begins to recede, losing dimension both vertically and horizontally. This reduction in jaw bone contributes to changes in facial contours, giving the face a more convex appearance.
Can Dentures Restore Facial Aesthetics?
Even if you don’t have natural teeth, you can still maintain or regain facial esthetics with a denture. The appliance, when made correctly, can restore ideal length between the nose and chin and plump up facial tissues that would normally be supported by natural teeth. The transformation that occurs to a person’s lips, cheeks, profile, and of course smile can be dramatic, creating a more youthful and healthy appearance. And of course, the denture itself adds a huge boost to a person’s beauty by creating a vibrant white smile that incorporates the characteristics of a natural smile by customizing teeth length, shape, and contour.
A denture can also give a boost to a person’s youthfulness by enabling better intake of nutrition with improved chewing capabilities. A lack of teeth greatly impacts a person’s ability to chew food and have a varied diet, reducing their intake of essential nutrients that contribute to health and vitality.
