THE IMPORTANCE OF TEETH FOR JAW BONE HEALTH
When one or more teeth are missing, it can lead to bone loss at the site of the gap. This loss of jaw bone can develop into additional problems affecting both your appearance and overall health. You may experience pain, problems with your remaining teeth, altered facial appearance, and eventually difficulty speaking or eating normally.
In the same way that muscles are maintained through exercise, bone tissue is maintained by use. Natural teeth are embedded in the jaw bone and stimulate it through activities such as chewing and biting. When teeth are missing, the alveolar bone—the portion of the jaw that anchors the teeth—no longer receives the necessary stimulation and begins to break down, or resorb. The body no longer uses or “needs” the jaw bone, so it deteriorates.
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF TOOTH AND JAW BONE LOSS
- Problems with remaining teeth, including misalignment, drifting, loosening, and loss
- Collapsed facial profile
- Limited lip support
- Skin wrinkling around the mouth
- Distortion of other facial features
- Jaw (TMJ or temporomandibular joint) pain, facial pain, and headaches
- Difficulty speaking and communicating
- Inadequate nutrition due to inability to chew properly and painlessly
- Sinus expansion