When one or more teeth are missing, it can lead to jawbone loss at the site of the gap. This loss of jawbone can cause additional problems, affecting both your appearance and your overall health. You may experience pain, issues with your remaining teeth, changes in facial appearance, and eventually even difficulty speaking and eating normally.
Similarly to how muscles are maintained through exercise, bone tissue is maintained by use. Natural teeth are embedded in the jawbone and stimulate the jawbone through activities such as chewing and biting. When teeth are missing, the alveolar bone, or the part of the jawbone that anchors the teeth in the mouth, no longer receives the necessary stimulation and begins to break down, or resorb. The body no longer uses or “needs” the jawbone, so it deteriorates and diminishes.
Potential Consequences of Tooth and Jawbone 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 (temporomandibular joint, TMJ) pain, facial pain, and headaches.
- Difficulty speaking and communicating.
- Inadequate nutrition as a result of the inability to chew properly and painlessly.
- Sinus expansion.
