Do I Really Need to Brush My Baby’s Teeth?
Instilling good health habits in children means starting at a young age. With oral hygiene, it’s no different. But, is it necessary to brush your baby’s teeth? If so, when should you start? Find out here.
The Link Between Oral Health and Facial Collapse
Bones provide structure to our bodies, and like other body tissues, they’re in a constant state of regrowth and remodeling. Your skeleton accounts for about 15% of your total weight, and although it appears solid and rigid, it has a structure similar to a honeycomb, which keeps it relatively lightweight.
The bone remodeling process is faster when we’re younger. But changes in oral health contribute to issues like facial collapse — the risk of which increases with age and tooth loss.
At Hillsdale Dental Care in San Jose, California, Dr. Roge Jacob, Dr. Magdalena Azzarelli, and our expert team are here to help you understand the link between oral health and facial collapse — and what you can do to prevent the condition from affecting your life.
Defining facial collapse
Your body remodels bones to maintain calcium levels, reshape the skeleton as you grow, and repair damaged bones. Remodeling occurs in two phases: laying down new bone material and absorbing damaged or extraneous bone by breaking it down.
Missing bone leads to the reabsorption process, and when you lose teeth in the upper or lower jaw, it signals the body to use bone-building materials elsewhere. Losing one or more teeth — especially molars in the back of the mouth — can result in a sunken-in appearance, commonly referred to as facial collapse.
Oral health factors that can lead to facial collapse
Children develop at a faster rate than adults, and not surprisingly, they regrow bones much faster, replacing almost 100% of their skeleton over time. The bone absorption rate drops by about 10% a year as we grow up, and dental problems accelerate jaw bone loss, especially if we lose teeth.
Why? Healthy teeth have healthy roots that continuously stimulate the bone remodeling process in the jaw area they’re growing in.
Conditions such as periodontitis (gum disease) and osteoporosis (a condition characterized by a weakening of bone density) are significant factors in jawbone loss, leading to the signs commonly associated with facial collapse over time.
Losing a substantial number of teeth drastically increases bone absorption, a problem that’s most common with advanced gum disease. The resulting collapse causes changes in facial structure, bite misalignments, chewing discomfort, wrinkling around the mouth, lips sinking inward, increased speaking difficulties, and facial pain.
Facial collapse management and prevention
To prevent facial collapse, treat gum disease and practice proper dental care for as long as possible to slow the progression of oral diseases and prevent significant tooth loss.
When you lose one or more teeth, bone grafting and dental implants are an effective way to trigger bone regrowth where teeth are missing. We can manage osteoporosis-related issues with hormone therapy or other medications.
Facial collapse happens to many aging adults, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. To find out how we can help, make an appointment at Hillsdale Dental Care in San Jose, California, today.
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