Today’s message focuses on missing teeth and bone health, and how Falls Pointe Dental in Raleigh can help with these issues.
Our teeth have many critical functions. We need them to chew our food, talk, and smile. But have you ever considered their role in holding up your face? When we lose teeth, the bone around the site of the extraction begins to shrink. This, in turn, causes our facial muscles to sink in and collapse.
Bone Metabolism
We sometimes think of bone as a solid mass, unlike the softer tissues in our bodies. In reality, below the seemingly rock-hard surface, bone tissue is full of small holes – kind of like a sponge. In the interior, bone tissue is continually regenerating itself. This important process is sometimes called “bone metabolism.”
In the jaw bone, the movement of the teeth, as in chewing, stimulates this process of rebuilding. When a tooth is gone, the bone starts to shrink as blood flow is reduced.
People with missing teeth not only have an unappealing gap in their smile, but they also begin to look older because of the bone recession and eventual facial sagging. It is not simply an issue of attractiveness – it poses serious health dangers. It may become difficult to chew food, making it harder to get adequate nutrition. Mental health can also be affected when a patient with missing teeth loses confidence or withdraws from social situations because they are self-conscious about their smile.
Dental Implants Can Prevent Bone Recession
Modern dentistry to the rescue! Dental implant technology provides a tooth restoration solution that maintains healthy bone metabolism while providing near-normal tooth function. For patients missing many (or all) of their teeth, it may not be possible to replace every single tooth with an implant. In many of these cases, dental implants can be used as anchors for dentures.
What if your bone has shrunk so much that there is not enough to support an implant? You may be a candidate for bone augmentation or bone grafting. This procedure is routinely carried out with success.
If you are missing teeth, don’t resign yourself to dentures. Dental implants from Falls Pointe Dental in Raleigh can provide a stunning smile! We provide general and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule an appointment with us today.