How Missing Teeth Can Impact Your Face

Missing teeth bring immediate threats to your appearance and ability to eat. But did you know that absences in your smile also affect the health of your jawbone as well as the frame of your face? Dental implants are the only way to solve this drawback of missing teeth. Compared to traditional dentures and bridges, dental implants offer the ability to stimulate the underlying bone just like a natural tooth root. In result, you’ll be saving yourself from the unwanted setback of a sunken facial structure over time.

Missing Teeth & Bone Loss

How do missing teeth cause bone loss? Each tooth in your mouth has natural roots made up of tissues and supporting ligament fibers. These roots not only keep your teeth securely in place, they also nourish, stimulate and harden your jawbone underneath. Therefore, if you lose a tooth, there is no tooth root to stimulate the jawbone, which leads to the bone shrinking and losing density over time. This can be a gradual change, but one that can make you look much older than you really are.

Bone loss in the jaw causes the lower portion of the face to lose its structure or form. This can produce a hallowed or sunken appearance and collapse of the mouth and cheeks. You may also notice wrinkles and sagging skin around the mouth. This is known as premature facial aging. The process of bone shrinking occurs at the base of the teeth, so it can also raise the risk for cavities and gum disease in your surrounding teeth.

Why Dentures Can’t Solve Bone Loss

Our bones need proper stimulation to retain their density and form. For the jawbone, this means tooth roots that come in contact with the jawbone during chewing and biting down. When teeth go missing, the shrinking of bone occurs quicker than you may think. Research suggests that 25% of the bone is lost in the first 3 months and up to 50% in the first 6 months. When a denture or partial is put on this bone, bone loss not only continues, but it can be accelerated! Only dental implants can replace the missing tooth root that can adequately stimulate the jawbone.

Bone loss for denture wearers can complicate comfort and chewing. The jawbone often changes shape and dentures begin to fit loosely or slip out of place. The stimulate the jawbone needs falls far behind, as denture wearers typically chew with 10% of the force compared to teeth.

Dental Implants & Bone Maintenance

Dental implants are a comfortable and long lasting solution for missing teeth as well as a valued investment towards your overall health and well-being. Dental implants are surgically placed in your jawbone to form a firm foundation for your prosthetic tooth or teeth. Implants are designed to adapt and support to the surrounding bone so that you can regain a confident smile and avoid the facial collapse that occurs with depleting bone. Call your implants expert in Marietta today to learn more.