How Tooth Loss Can Reshape Your Face

The jaw is a fine feature of the face, but just like the arms and legs, it needs exercise and stimulation to stay healthy and strong. This stimulation normally comes from the row of teeth it hosts, but it will soon begin to atrophy and recede after tooth loss. If allowed to continue, this can reshape the face in an undesirable manner. Thankfully, dental implants can restore this stimulation to the jaw and prevent or even reverse its recession. Read on to find out how dental implants can restore that youthful look after tooth loss.

Use It or Lose It

The jaw and teeth, like the rest of the skeletal system, are made of living tissue. During the chewing process, the teeth apply pressure to the jawbone. To keep the teeth steady, the body continually sends minerals and blood to the jaw so it can remain strong. When teeth are missing, the rest of the body isn’t going to spend resources on the jaw when it is not doing the work.

If one tooth is lost, the jaw will recede in that one place, which can drag the neighboring teeth down into misalignment. Misaligned teeth can protrude at hazardous angles, opening them up to more damage or making them harder to clean. The tooth experiences chips and cracks, which can allow bacteria into the pulp. Decay follows infection, resulting in another lost tooth. The jaw recedes further and the vicious cycle continues.

When many teeth are lost, the whole mouth can begin to recede, leaving the face with a sunken appearance. The lips, no longer stretched over such a wide area, begin to wrinkle and hang. As the process continues, the face looks older and older.

Putting the Jaw Back to Work

Dental implants can prevent or reverse the atrophy of the jaw and the sinking of the face because they imitate natural teeth within the structure of the mouth. The implant consists of a titanium post placed within the jaw beneath the gumline where the missing root once was. The post is connected to an artificial tooth that imitates its natural counterparts in color, luster, shape, and function.

Because the jaw now works in conjunction with the implant during the chewing process, it is again stimulated as it was with the missing natural teeth. The body will not let the working jaw atrophy. With regular exercise, the jaw will receive minerals to reinforce itself, maintaining its shape and building itself back up. The face will not sink. The lips will not hang. Your smile will be fully populated and virtually indistinguishable from one full of natural teeth.

All in all, dental implants not only help your mouth now, but they can save the structure of your face. With proper care and hygiene, they can last for decades that could otherwise be spent with a mouth sinking further and further.

About the Practice

McNew Dental has protected the smiles of Rockwall, TX, for more than thirty years. Led by Drs. Danette McNew and Leeza Stein, the team uses state-of-the-art technology in providing friendly and compassionate care to patients of all ages. Services include dental exams, cleanings, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, emergency dentistry, and tooth restoration. For more information on how dental implants can benefit you, contact the office online or at (972) 666-5439.