Implant Restoration & Jawbone Health
The Importance of Teeth for Jawbone Health
When even one tooth is missing, it can lead to bone loss at the site of the gap. This jawbone loss can develop into more substantial problems, both with your appearance and your overall health. You could experience jaw pain, problems with the remaining teeth, an altered facial appearance and even problems with speaking and/or eating normally.
Much in the same way that our muscles are maintained through exercise, our bone tissue is maintained by usage. Natural teeth are embedded in jawbone tissue and stimulate through activities like chewing and biting. When the teeth go missing, the portion of the jawbone that anchors out teeth no longer receives the needed stimulation- and begins to breakdown. The body no longer “needs” the jawbone, so it deteriorates.
Potential Consequences of Tooth and Jawbone Loss
- Problems with remaining teeth, including misalignment, drifting, loosening, and loss
- Collapsed facial profile
- Limited lip support
- Skin wrinkling around the mouth
- Distortion of other facial features
- Jaw (TMJ or temporomandibular joint) pain, facial pain, and headaches
- Difficulty speaking and communicating
- Inadequate nutrition as a result of the inability to chew properly and painlessly
- Sinus expansion