One of the most common consequences of losing teeth and severe periodontitis, jawbone loss or deterioration can affect your life in many ways. Not only will this cause more oral health problems; it can also alter your facial appearance, making it look sunken, which will then make you look older than you really are.
What happens when you lose a tooth?
When you do not replace a lost tooth immediately, the part where it used to attach to the jawbone loses stimulation. Your jawbone receives stimulation through all the movements and actions your teeth goes through every single day. Biting, chewing, and even speaking stimulate and preserve your jawbone.
So when you lose a tooth, your jawbone loses its source of stimulus. Once this takes place, the bone reabsorbs, or ‘resorbs’ as medically termed, into your body. Within the first year of a tooth’s removal, you lose as much as 25 per cent of your jawbone. The longer it remains unsupported and unstimulated, the more bone it loses.
For people with periodontitis, the harmful bacteria present in the mouth eats away at the periodontal ligaments and even the hard underlying jawbone.
Why dentures will not stop jawbone loss
Although dentures serve as a replacement for a tooth (or several), they cannot correct nor prevent jawbone loss deterioration. This is because dentures only place a tiny amount of pressure on the bone – as low as 10 per cent, or even less.
So what is the best way to prevent this problem?
The best, most effective way to put a stop to jawbone loss is through dental implants. Dental implants give the bone an entirely new tooth, which the dentist will attach to the bone itself. The root, or the implant, exerts similar, or even the same level of pressure and stimulation on the bone as natural teeth.
So as soon as you lose a tooth, make sure you contact a dental implants specialist in Battersea right away, to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure. While implants cost the most when it comes to replacing lost tooth, all the benefits that they provide easily outweighs the difference in price.