While decay starts from tooth crevices, it can slowly spread if left untreated. A typical Australian adult loses about 4 teeth due to dental rot. Unless you have frequent dental visitation, this tooth loss is likely to increase as you age.
Missing or losing teeth often affects eating habits and food choices. It also negatively impacts jawbone condition. When a tooth is lost, the jawbone beneath slowly deteriorates due to a lack of stimulation from chewing or biting.
Once the jawbone weakens, it gradually loses density, altering facial structure. Dental implants offer long-term solutions to prevent these serious problems. Learn how these artificial tooth roots permanently restore oral function and facial structure.
How Missing Teeth Affect Jawbone Health
Common to most, it’s a false impression that teeth are only for chewing or biting. They maintain the integrity and shape of the jawbone. Each tooth emerges from a small bud, firmly anchored by strong fibres on the jawbone.
When you try to chew, the applied pressure reaches the jawbone. Mechanical stress then stimulates certain bone cells called osteocytes, leading to new bone formation. This results in higher bone density, helping the jawbone handle forceful biting each time you eat or chew.
Once a tooth is lost, it creates a gap where the jawbone beneath is no longer stimulated. This leads to less bone formation in toothless areas, leading to a process called bone resorption. Simply put, it often results in jawbone shrinkage and breakdown.
The weakened jawbone may gradually shrink due to resorption, losing adequate stability. This affects facial features, which may begin to look sag and sunken. As such, it can make a person appear older than their actual age.
How Dental Implants Preserve Jawbone Health
Tooth loss exposes the dental socket, which holds the teeth firmly. This gives dental implants an opening to be deeply embedded into the jawbone. If there is an insufficient jawbone mass, you’ll likely undergo bone grafting to provide a strong base for implants.
Here’s how dental implants positively impact jawbone health:
- Reduce Jaw Strain – Dental implants evenly spread out biting force, which reduces localised strain on the jawbone. It also prevents harming the adjacent bones and muscles.
- Stimulate Jawbone – These artificial tooth roots mimic natural teeth; they stimulate your jawbone, promoting increased bone density and integrity. Thus, it impedes potential jawbone shrinking and complications.
- Maintain Bone Density – By providing continuous stimulus to the jawbone, dental implants help maintain bone density. This helps the jawbone manage forceful chewing, grinding or biting.
- Enhance Stability and Function – Once implants integrate into the jawbone, they secure adjacent teeth in place. This significantly prevents teeth misalignment, helping you chew efficiently and comfortably.
- Sustain Oral Health – Implants permanently replace the lost stimulation from missing teeth. After some time, this recovers the integrity of the jawbone and surrounding teeth. It preserves oral function and structure while ensuring a natural-looking smile!
Long-Term Benefits of Dental Implants for Jawbone Health
Studies have shown that tooth extraction reduces about 30% of the alveolar ridge. This ridge is the jaw’s raised border, firmly holding the teeth. It changes over time, often due to tooth loss or injury.
After three months, lost teeth may reduce around two-thirds of the affected soft and hard tissues. Most of the bone loss starts after six months, which is why embedding dental implants is crucial during these periods.
While adults don’t regrow their teeth, implants must be embedded before bone density dwindles due to missing teeth. Doing this sooner after losing teeth is important since implants require adequate jawbone. This doesn’t only stop bone loss but preserves the jawbone over time.
In other words, implants naturally fuse with the jawbone over time. This natural integration is known as osseointegration. It results in resilient and stable jaw-teeth bonds, which hamper further bone deterioration.
Dental implants offer a myriad of benefits. First, they fill in the gaps left by missing teeth, maintaining proper tooth alignment. This restores a balanced bite, improving how you chew or eat. Most importantly, they prevent severe issues like jaw, head, or facial pain due to teeth misalignment.
Why Dental Implants Are the Best Solution for Missing Teeth
Dental implants offer exceptional advantages over traditional solutions to replace lost teeth. While it’s hefty, it provides long-term benefits, making it a worthwhile oral investment. Here’s why it’s a superior choice for your missing teeth:
Compared to Dentures and Bridges
Dental implants surgically fused into the jawbone act as substitutes for lost teeth. This provides a far more secure and stable replacement than dentures and bridges, which can shift or slip. Among its substantial benefits is promoting bone growth, which helps prevent facial sagging.
Longevity
No other tooth replacement options last longer than dental implants. They typically endure wear and tear for up to 25 years. With adequate care, they can even last a lifetime, eliminating the need to frequently adjust or replace them.
Natural Look
Unlike traditional dentures, implants match the size, shape and colour of your existing teeth. This creates a seamless look that helps you smile, speak, eat or chew confidently.
Greater Comfort
Dental implants, mostly made of titanium, are often biocompatible. Once permanently fused to the jawbone, they prevent irritation, discomfort, allergy, or adverse body reactions.
Once permanent, it doesn’t need adhesives or adjustments, so you can easily maintain oral hygiene. Ultimately, it also allows you to enjoy infinite food without restraints.
How Aesthetic Dental Clinic Can Help
Our experienced dentists guide you in finding suitable implants tailored to your needs and conditions. We’re experts in implant procedures, ensuring a lasting investment in your oral appearance and health.
We offer personalised consultations so you can receive the best possible care. To achieve your desired implant outcome, the clinic’s dental specialists assess your oral condition and history to give you the most suitable implant options.
Beyond the initial procedure, we provide regular post-implant check-ups. This is part of our comprehensive dental care to ensure the health and lifespan of your implants. By following our recommended aftercare routines, you’re up for a pristine, functional smile!
Book Your Journey to Beautiful Smiles
While it often disrupts eating habits, untreated tooth loss leads to significant bone deterioration. This may result in jawbone loss, facial sagging and hasten complete tooth loss. Replacing missing teeth with implants may help you avoid these severe complications.
Need help getting implants? Book a consultation with Aesthetic Dental Clinic to discuss the best implant options for your lifestyle and goals. Call us at (02) 4655 4438 to transform your enduring smile!
