The immediate effects of tooth loss are often bad enough on their own. Most folks struggle to eat, speak, or even smile confidently after losing teeth. That said, the reality is that tooth loss can change your face shape as well. Lacking a full grin will slowly make your cheeks and jaw look old. For that reason, dental implants are often ideal; they can prevent and even reverse this premature aging. Learn more about these matters with this helpful summary from your Morristown dentist.
Losing Teeth Weakens the Jawbone
A smile without all its teeth can quickly cause physical and cosmetic issues. However, it’ll also cause your face’s shape to degrade if its tooth loss goes untreated.
The simple truth is that your jaw needs a full smile to maintain itself. When you bite with all your teeth, the resulting stimuli preserve your jawbone’s tissue. Losing even a tooth or two can reduce this stimulus enough to slowly erode your jawbone. Given enough time, such erosion can then cause facial collapse – a condition that makes your cheeks look hollow and sunken.
Dental Implants Make Your Jaw Strong(er)
Thankfully, dental implants can help you avoid this erosion process. They work differently from other replacement teeth and keep your face from changing shape.
You see, dental implants actually fuse with the jawbone. New bone tissue grows around the posts to keep them in place and secure. As a result, using them produces the stimulus needed to stabilize the jaw’s bone tissue. This effect ensures your face looks fuller and firmer than it would otherwise.
How to Care for Dental Implants
Though dental implants can keep your face youthful, they’ll only do so with proper care. It’s crucial that you always give them regular maintenance. So, make sure to use the tips below:
- Avoid Bad Oral Habits – If you chew on ice or fingernails, you could chip your dental implants and cause them to fail. Tobacco products are worse and could cause gum disease that prevents implant fusion.
- Practice Good Oral Hygiene – While dental implants don’t decay, they can fail if the adjacent teeth and gums get infected. Given that fact, try to brush twice daily, floss once daily, and rinse with mouthwash often.
- Get Dental Checkups – With six-month checkups and cleanings, a dentist can reduce your risk of dental implant failure. They’ll treat your minor oral issues before big ones harm your implants.
Tooth loss can change face shape, but it doesn’t have to. Just see your dental provider for dental implants – they’ll keep you looking young!
About the Practice
Skyline Dental of Morristown is based in Morristown, NJ. Led by Dr. Aliana Henkin, our practice provides everything you need to have a truly dazzling grin. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental services, as well as emergency oral care. Our team even places dental implants in-office to restore patients’ smiles! For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (862)-260-4116.