Today’s post focuses on missing teeth and bone health.
Our teeth have many vital functions. We need them to chew our food, talk, and smile. But have you ever considered their role in holding up your face? When we lose teeth, the bone around the site of the extraction begins to pull back. This, in turn, causes our facial muscles to sink in and collapse.
Bone Metabolism
We sometimes think of bone as a solid mass, unlike the softer tissues in our body. In reality, below the seemingly rock-hard surface, bone tissue is full of small holes, kind of like a sponge. In the interior bone tissue, the bone is constantly regenerating itself. This essential process is sometimes called “bone metabolism.” In the jaw bone, the movement of the teeth stimulates this process of rebuilding. When the tooth is gone, the bone starts to shrink as blood flow is reduced.
People with missing teeth not only have an unattractive gap in their smile, but they also begin to look older because of the bone recession and eventual facial sagging. It is not simply an issue of attractiveness—it poses serious health hazards. It may become difficult to chew food, making it harder to get appropriate nutrition. Mental health can also be affected when a patient with missing teeth loses confidence or withdraws from social situations because they are embarrassed by their smile.
Dental Implants Can Prevent Bone Recession
Modern dentistry to the rescue! Dental implant technology delivers a tooth restoration solution that preserves healthy bone metabolism while providing near-normal tooth function. For people missing many (or all) of their teeth, it may not be possible to replace every single tooth with a permanent dental implant. In many of these cases, dental implants can be used to provide an anchor for a partial denture.
What if your bone has shrunken so much that there is not enough to support a tooth implant? You may be a candidate for bone augmentation or bone grafting. This procedure is routinely completed with success. If you are missing teeth, don’t resign yourself to dentures.
Contact Flawless Smile Dentistry:
918-342-4444
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1502 W Blue Starr Dr
Claremore, OK
74017
