If you’ve been living without teeth for years, you might worry that it’s too late to get dentures to restore your smile and improve your quality of life. Extended tooth loss can cause jawbone shrinkage and bone loss that diminishes your facial structure and makes things sometimes seem hopeless. However, modern dentistry has answers for these issues, and you might still be able to receive dentures to enjoy a natural-looking, functional set of teeth once more. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Does the Jawbone Shrink After Tooth Loss?
When you lose teeth, the jawbone no longer receives stimulation from the pressure exerted when you bite and chew. Without this stimulation, the bone tissue actually begins to deteriorate and break down through a process known as resorption. Over the years, this can cause noticeable changes to your facial shape, making the cheeks look gaunt and sunken, and greatly altering how you bite.
Jawbone Loss Doesn’t Mean It’s Impossible to Restore Your Smile
While bone loss can make fitting dentures a little more challenging, it doesn’t necessarily mean that replacement teeth are entirely out of the question. Your dentist can still create a custom-made denture that fits securely and comfortably; in fact, for many patients, traditional dentures are a very cost-effective and non-invasive way to restore their smile and improve their ability to eat and speak.
However, implant-retained dentures take this a step further, and are good for patients with sufficient jawbone density and who’d like something more stable and permanent. Placed directly into the jawbone via a surgical procedure, dental implants act as artificial tooth roots, anchoring your dentures securely in place so they won’t shift while you eat or speak. Furthermore, since the implants act as tooth roots, they provide the jaw with stimulation and prevent further bone loss.
In cases when patients have experienced significant bone loss in their jaw, a dental bone graft may be needed before placing dental implants. This procedure adds bone material to the jaw, strengthening it enough to support the implants. While it does extend the treatment timeline, it serves to assist patients who’ve been without teeth for many years and help them enjoy the benefits of implant-supported dentures.
Whether you’ve been without teeth for a few months, several years, or even decades, there are options available to help you eat, speak, and smile with confidence again—and dentures are among the best of all solutions!
About the Practice
Our team here at Webster Lake Dental proudly serves patients and families in Webster and the surrounding community. We offer a wide variety of services, ranging from preventive care like checkups and cleanings to restorative and tooth replacement options like dentures. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with us to set up an appointment for yourself or a loved one, please reach out online or call today for more information or assistance. Telephone: (508) 943-8111.