What You Must Do to Prevent Jaw-Bone Loss if You Have Missing Teeth

Posted on 9/21/2020 by Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center

The teeth and jaw are a dynamic duo. A strong jaw helps teeth stay in place and apply the pressure necessary to chomp effectively. Strong teeth help a jaw keep its density. However, when the duo is in disarray from missing teeth a jaw-bone can fall victim to deterioration, otherwise known as atrophy. Whenever you lose a tooth you run the risk of jaw shrinkage. The shrinkage may not be a problem when you lose a tooth or two, but with enough missing teeth, we may need to take action to restore the strength in your jaw.

Filling in the Gaps

When we talk about jaw-bone loss we are usually referring to the volume of the jaw and a face with a lack of jaw volume develops jowls and a protruding chin. This can be prevented by replacing a lost tooth with a dental implant, implanting a supporting bridge, or getting a denture. All of those interventions are meant to replace the pressure that the lost teeth would normally apply to the jaw of they were still in the mouth. Jawbones can also lose density, which is rarer, but can still happen. A loss in jaw-bone density can be a result of poor diets with lots of sugar, diseased that eat away at bone density, imbalances in hormones, and certain lifestyle choices, like using tobacco. The key to preventing jaw-bone density loss is changing those lifestyle choices that put your mouth at risk and making appointments with a doctor or a professional at our office.

Missing teeth can impact how you feel about your smile, but it can also weaken your face as a whole. Just like any muscle if you do not work it out, then it will shrink and weaken. Your teeth and the pressure they exert keep your jaw-bone in shape. Fun fact: a human can bite with more strength than an orangutan, but only if your jaw is healthy. Contact us for more information.

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The surgical specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery requires up to six additional years of hospital based surgical and anesthesia training beyond dental school.

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Dental Blog | Livermore & Tracy CA | Michael Beckley DDS
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Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center, 1133 E Stanley Blvd #215, Livermore, CA 94550 \ 925-290-7727 \ pacificofs.com \ 9/9/2024 \ Page Terms:oral surgeon Livermore \