Dental Procedure Pain: Get the Facts

Why People With Missing Teeth Tend To Have Weak Jaws

You've probably seen many people over the course of your life who have a full set of dentures, yet a weak jaw and chin holding them in. While the dentures resemble strong and healthy teeth, the jaw can't hide the reality of the situation. Weak jaws are indeed very common in people who have missing teeth, but it's a situation that can be avoided. Read this to learn how the jaw relies on teeth.

The Role Teeth Play

Believe it or not, your teeth do a lot more for you on a daily basis than just helping you to eat and speak clearly. Your teeth also help to keep structures under the surface healthy and strong, like your upper and lower jaw bones.

Chances are you've experienced a sore jaw after grinding your teeth due to stress. This is the exact way that your teeth keep your jaw strong. They act like a bridge, transmitting any pressure put on them down into the bone. This sends a signal to the body to grow new bone cells in order to deal with the pressure. So essentially, every time you chew, you're keeping your jaw strong.

Without Teeth

When one or even all teeth are removed from the equation, the jaw becomes weaker as a result. While a certain number of bone cells are still restored in the simple cell rejuvenation process, it isn't enough to maintain the original appearance of the jaw. Instead, the jaw bones diminish until they become weaker and thinner looking.

While this is particularly prevalent in people who are missing all of their teeth, keep in mind that it will still occur to those who are missing just one tooth. The only difference is, a smaller patch of the bone will weaken. However, if the jaw weakens, it can put surrounding teeth at risk due to their lessening support from the bone, so one lost tooth often eventually causes full tooth loss.

Prevention

If someone loses one or more teeth, that doesn't mean that they're doomed to have weakened bones. Dental science has gotten to the point where bone loss can be prevented, so long as you take action and get help from a dentist.

Dental implants can be utilized to keep the jaw strong. They are the same length and general shape as a full tooth with its root still attached. This means that they make a suitable replacement bridge to transfer pressure to your jaw. With a dental implant in place immediately following tooth loss, bone loss can be prevented. Even further down the road, though, a dental implant can help to regain lost bone mass.

If you're worried for yourself or another person because of a missing tooth or series of teeth, don't fret. Get help from a good dentist and ensure that this type of bone loss never happens. Contact local dental implant services for more information.


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