Missing teeth can make it difficult to complete daily tasks that you once found easy. Things as simple as chewing your food, speaking, clearly, and smiling without feeling self-conscious becomes a challenge. Something that many people don’t think about is the way the tooth loss can affect face shape. In fact, the shape of the face can completely transform. Continue reading to learn more about how this happens and what you can do about it.
How Does Tooth Loss Change Your Face Shape?
If you have a missing tooth or two in your mouth, you might not give it too much thought. This is especially the case if you are only missing teeth toward the back of the mouth where gaps aren’t visible. However, all of your teeth are important when it comes to the shape of your face. If you are missing a tooth in the back of your mouth, it might not affect your ability to chew or speak much, but your jawbone will feel the effects.
When there are no longer any tooth roots stimulating the jawbone in an area, it begins to be reabsorbed by the body. Missing any number of teeth will result in atrophy in the jawbone. When the jawbone becomes too weak and fragile, it can’t even support dental implants. The only option at this point are traditional dentures or bone grafting.
How Does Facial Collapse Occur?
When your jawbone atrophies over the years due to missing teeth, it will eventually no longer be able to support the structure of the face, resulting in collapse. This means that you will notice a sunken or shorter appearance to your face. This also affects the muscles around your lips, causing them to weaken and become wrinkled. This can add decades to one’s appearance. Over time, the amount of space between the nose and chin may decrease, changing the appearance of your face.
How Can You Prevent Jawbone Loss?
To prevent the jawbone from atrophying, the roots of the missing teeth need to be replaced. Currently, the only tooth replacement option available that replaces the roots of the missing teeth is dental implants. They stimulate bone growth and prevent additional jawbone loss. This helps to prevent facial collapse due to bone loss.
If you are missing teeth, don’t wait for bone loss to progress before you replace them. Instead, consider asking your dentist about replacing your missing teeth with dental implants. This way, you can preserve the health of your smile and integrity of your face.
About the Author
Dr. Mike Christensen earned his dental doctorate from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. Since then, he has sought out advanced training in dental implantology and surgery. Today, he is a proud member of the American Dental Association, Utah Dental Association, and Academy of General Dentistry. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit his website or call (907) 268-2015.