Anyone facing tooth loss will probably be concerned about how it affects them when they talk, smile, or eat. However, losing teeth can impact your facial structure. In this article, we explore what losing teeth might mean for you and what you can do to protect your facial structure and maintain a youthful appearance.
Teeth and Their Role in Supporting Your Cheeks and Lips
Natural teeth are vital in supporting the muscles in your cheeks and lips. Without their support, these muscles can collapse inwards. The effect can be seen in someone wearing complete or full dentures, as when they remove them, their cheeks appear sunken in.
Additionally, teeth help maintain the proper dimensions between your upper and lower jaws. When you lose teeth, these dimensions change as the height between the upper and lower jaws diminishes. Both of these effects are prematurely aging.
Teeth in Their Role in Supporting Your Jawbone
Teeth have another important purpose, as they help support and protect your jawbone. When you bite down, it creates pressure. The pressure is transmitted through the tooth, into the tooth root, and the surrounding bone. The stimulation signals to your body that old bone cells should be replaced as they die.
When teeth are removed, so is this stimulation. Consequently, as old bone cells die, they are no longer replaced, and gradually the jawbone resorbs. This can be seen in someone who has worn dentures for years. Originally, the bony arch used to support their natural teeth would still have sufficient height and width to firmly hold dentures. As the jawbone resorbs, this bony arch becomes narrower and flatter
The loss of the jawbone affects the overall shape of your face. It also makes it harder for people to wear complete dentures. Without this bony ridge, there is less suction and retention for dentures. As a result, they start to move around and slip out of place.
The Effect of Missing Teeth on Your Jaw Joints
Your jaw joints are called temporomandibular joints and hinge your lower jaw to your skull. These joints enable you to move your lower jaw freely, comfortably, and without pain. However, they cannot work properly if your facial dimensions change. If this occurs, then it places extra pressure on your jaw joints. Consequently, they are more likely to become inflamed and painful, and you could develop a condition called TMJ disorder or temporomandibular joint disorder.
TMJ disorder can make it painful to move your lower jaw or to open and close your mouth comfortably. The pain can spread from your jaw joints into your neck and shoulders or cause facial pain, headaches, or tinnitus.
What if You Cannot See My Missing Teeth?
Anyone missing their back teeth may think these don’t matter because they cannot be seen. However, their loss still affects your facial dimensions. The only exception is wisdom teeth that are often removed because of insufficient space in the jawbone or when they are impacted in the jaw and must be extracted.
These are all reasons why it is so important to replace missing teeth. If you are facing tooth loss, talk to your dentist about restoring them.
How to Maintain Your Facial Structure After Tooth Loss
Various treatments can be used to restore missing teeth. These include:
Dentures
These removable dental appliances have been around for many years. The most modern dentures can look lifelike, and high-quality denture teeth can be arranged to replicate real teeth very nicely.
However, dentures do nothing to address the problem of jawbone loss and will struggle to maintain your face’s shape adequately. The pressure of a denture resting directly on the gum and jawbone can accelerate bone loss. As a result, dentures will become loose after a few years and increasingly uncomfortable to wear.
Dental Bridge
A dental bridge is a good way to replace missing teeth, but it relies on natural teeth that are strong enough to support it. The teeth on either side of the gap left by the missing teeth must be ground down and crowned. These teeth are known as abutment teeth.
The dental crowns hold the replacement tooth or teeth between them. Each replacement tooth is called a pontic. The crowns are cemented over the natural teeth so the restoration remains permanently in place.
Dental bridges are custom-designed to look natural and can be made from the latest and most advanced porcelain materials, so they are durable and strong and should last for years before they need replacing.
However, like a denture, a dental bridge doesn’t protect your jawbone. Additionally, the abutment teeth will come under extra stress and strain as they must support the replacement teeth. This can increase the risk of them failing later, and as the crowns age, they can start to leak, allowing cavity-causing bacteria to get underneath.
Sometimes, no natural teeth are suitable for supporting a dental bridge. They may be missing entirely or too weak. In this case, dental implants can help.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are an advanced way to replace missing teeth and have several important benefits. These are why they are frequently regarded as the gold standard for restoring missing teeth and are increasingly recommended by dentists everywhere.
What Makes Dental Implants So Special?
A dental implant is a small screw or post made from titanium or zirconia that is surgically inserted into the jawbone. This is important because the implant acts like a natural tooth root. Once in the jawbone, the post becomes fused in place, and vitally, it helps protect your jawbone.
Every time you bite down on a dental implant, it produces similar sensations to a natural tooth root, stimulating the bone around it and preventing jawbone loss. Because of this effect, the jawbone will not deteriorate.
Dental implant teeth are designed to restore correct facial dimensions, maintain the proper space between your upper and lower jaws, and provide the perfect support for your facial muscles in your cheeks and lips. Because of that protective effect on your jawbone, these dimensions shouldn’t change.
Treatment Is Versatile
It doesn’t matter if you are missing one tooth, multiple teeth, or an entire arch of teeth. Dental implants can provide a solution. Options include single implant crowns, implant bridges supported by two or more dental implants, or implant-retained dentures. An implant denture is still a removable prosthesis, but it clips firmly onto the implants in the mouth so it cannot shift position.
Protecting Natural Teeth
Dental implants help protect natural teeth. There is no need for teeth to be ground down to support a bridge. Instead implant teeth help prevent your natural teeth from moving out of place. They also share the stress and strain created when you bite and chew food.
A Long-Term Solution
Dental implants are strong and durable. Provided they are planned and inserted correctly, they should last for years or potentially for life. They are easy to care for, and all you need to do is maintain a good daily oral care routine and see your implant dentist regularly for checkups and professional dental cleanings.
Suitable for Almost Anybody
Finally, dental implant treatment is suitable for most people. It is particularly good for older people who may have struggled with dentures for years or anyone in their middle years who wants a long-term solution that will probably last for life.
If you are facing tooth loss and are worried about the impact on your facial appearance, talk to an implant dentist about how implants could help you.
Missing teeth do more than affect your ability to chew — over time, they can change the shape of your face, leading to a sunken or aged appearance. Fortunately, modern dental solutions like implants, bridges, or dentures can help restore both function and facial harmony.
If you’re concerned about how tooth loss is affecting your appearance, call LuxDen Dental Center in Brooklyn at (718) 717-8866 to schedule an appointment. Our skilled dental team will assess your needs and recommend the best treatment to bring back your confident smile.
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