Tooth Loss: How Can It Change Your Facial Shape

Those who are missing some or even one of their teeth know how challenging daily tasks can be, such as speaking clearly, chewing food comfortably, or smiling confidently. That said, these aren’t the only issues that come from tooth loss. If left untreated, your facial structure can end up changing due to missing teeth. Read on to learn how tooth loss can negatively impact your jaw shape and how you can address this problem.

How Does Tooth Loss Impact the Shape of Your Face?

If you’re missing one or a couple of your pearly whites, then you might not feel too worried about your situation due to the rest of your smile. Even so, your teeth are incredibly important regarding how your face is shaped. By missing even a single tooth, your jawbone can begin to alter due to the loss of a tooth root, which is what stimulates proper circulation to the bone tissue in the first place. Without healthy bone growth or stimulation in the area, the jaw can start to shrink or deteriorate over time, causing you to lose height in your face and even develop more wrinkles.

The Struggles of Facial Collapse

Your facial structure can start to collapse after years of untreated tooth loss. Natural teeth typically serve as placeholders for each other, and whenever one is lost, the nearby ones will move out of place to fill the gap, which can lead to further tooth loss. Without all of your teeth for a complete bite, your mouth will be unable to digest tougher foods. By losing your chewing ability, the muscles around your mouth can start to weaken as well, leading to significant changes in your appearance and facial structure, such as a shrunken jaw or lips curled inward.

How to Prevent Jawbone Deterioration

Since jawbone deterioration occurs primarily from a lack of stimulation in the bone tissue, the best way to prevent this issue is to replace the missing tooth root(s). That’s why dental implants are one of the best solutions out there. Not only does this treatment renew your bite, but it also addresses the underlying problem of jawbone resorption and facial collapse by promoting stronger and healthier bones.

Don’t allow tooth loss to take away from your youthful appearance. Speak with your dentist about rebuilding missing teeth with dental implants, and they’ll be more than happy to develop a plan to help you preserve your smile and facial shape.

About the Practice

At Advanced Dental Solutions of Pittsburgh, our team strives to provide patients with modern technology and techniques so that they can receive successful treatments. We can even offer extensive in-office procedures, such as dental implant placement and restoration to help rebuild missing teeth. If you’d like to know more about this tooth replacement option or wish to schedule a consultation, visit our website or call our office at 412-854-2310.