It’s a solid fact that modern dentures are quality replacement teeth; they’ve always restored their patients’ smiles, oral health, and quality of life. Still, not even dentures prevent bone loss once you’ve begun to lose your pearly whites. The truth is that only dental implants will keep your jaw full and strong at that point. If you want to know why, just keep reading – your local Parsippany dentist will gladly tell you more!
Losing Teeth Erodes Your Jaw
In reality, missing teeth affect more than how your smile looks. They’ll also cause your jaw to erode if they aren’t deal with.
Indeed, your jaw depends on you having a full smile. Chewing with all your teeth stimulates it and maintain its density. Any degree of tooth loss will reduce this stimulus, leading to a breakdown in bone tissue. This process will even result in a facial collapse if it isn’t treated soon enough.
Current science supports this conclusion. According to a study from the Indian Journal of Dentistry, bone tissue near a missing tooth tends to erode quickly. As much as 25% of this material can degrade within a year of an extraction.
Dentures Can’t Stop Bone Loss
As great as dentures are, they can’t stop your jaw’s bone loss once you lose teeth. Their features don’t equip them for that task.
Keep in mind how dentures work. They only rely on suction and adhesives to stay in place, so they can be a bit unsteady. That means they don’t stimulate your jaw enough to preserve its tissue. If you use them, your jawbone will still slowly erode.
Lack of jawbone preservation means dentures involve a lot of follow-up work. Since they don’t stop your jaw from shrinking, they often get loose and need refits.
Protect Your Jaw with Dental Implants
While dentures won’t stop bone loss, don’t lose hope. The good news is that dental implants can and will.
You see, dental implants are set directly in your jaw. This placement lets them fuse nearby bone tissue, preserving your jawbone for years. The result is that your bite’s force is restored, and your face stays firm.
All that said, these effects don’t happen in an instant. Dental implants need six months to fuse with your jaw; you should be careful during that time. With a few false moves, you could delay your treatment recovery or suffer implant failure.
If dentures aren’t a good “fit,” talk to your dentist about dental implants. Those posts would give you a full smile and a full jaw!
About the Practice
Rauchberg Dental Group is based in Parsippany, NJ. Led by our many amazing dentists, our practice makes great family dental care its highest priority. That means we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatments, as well as emergency procedures when needed. You can even count on our team for both dentures and great dental implants! For more details or to book a visit, please reach us on our website or by phone at (973)-718-9887.