Dental issues are a very common problem, and whether it’s through injury or disease, losing teeth can result without proper treatment. One or two lost teeth may not compromise oral function, but more missing teeth can compromise your ability to eat and speak.
This issue is far more common among people 65 and older, but it can occur at younger ages, as well. One of the many complications of losing a significant number of teeth is facial collapse, which makes you look older than you are.
Dr. Roge Jacob and Dr. Magdalena Azzarelli of Hillsdale Dental Care specialize in helping people cope with the effects of facial collapse. Let’s take a closer look at the causes of tooth loss, how it leads to facial collapse, and what we can do to manage these problems.
Oral conditions often increase the risk of tooth loss over time, including common problems like gum disease (periodontitis), teeth grinding (bruxism), and cavities (tooth decay) — especially when they’re left untreated for a long time.
Other issues that can raise your chances of losing teeth include dry mouth, hormonal changes, poor oral hygiene, smoking, and vaping.
Health conditions like autoimmune diseases and untreated diabetes can also lead to tooth loss. Losing teeth also often comes with other symptoms, such as halitosis (bad breath), bleeding gums, toothaches, and swollen gums. Problems like misaligned teeth (malocclusion), shifting teeth, TMJ disorders, bone loss, and speech changes also result from tooth loss.
Once teeth are gone, your body reabsorbs the supportive jawbone where it’s not needed, removing the old bone and adding new bone to replace it (ossification).
This is normal in injured and growing bones, but when bone loss happens in your jaws faster than it can be replaced, you’re left with reduced bone mass and an increased fracture risk.
The more teeth you lose, the more visible the impact on the area around your mouth, leading to a sunken-in appearance that ages your face. A shrinking jawbone can also irritate gums and bone, and in severe cases, make it more difficult for your jaws to hold dentures.
The key to avoiding the severe impact of bone loss in your jaw after tooth loss is to “convince” your body that bone and tissue are still necessary — and dental implants can do just that.
The placement of artificial “root” (titanium implant post) in the upper or lower jaw initiates osseointegration, which fuses the metal to the bone over time and reduces bone loss.
Whether we use single implants or multiple posts for replacing all your teeth in one or both jaws, the result reduces the sunken-in look that losing many (or all) of your teeth can produce. It also keeps the bone tissue of your jaws more active, and allows your teeth to function normally in speaking and eating.
If you’ve lost several teeth and want a younger-looking face and restored oral function, we can help. Schedule a visit with our team at Hillsdale Dental Care in San Jose, California, today.
