When you lose a tooth or two, you tend to focus on the immediate aftermath. After all, smile gaps are noticeable and draw attention to themselves. Tooth loss, however, also impacts your face’s shape. It’ll dramatically age your looks when left unchecked. Fortunately, you can count on dental implants to prevent and reverse that issue. If you’d like, your local dentist will explain more about them. Here, then, is a summary of how losing teeth harms face shape and how implants help it.
Tooth Loss “Hollows” Your Face
Yes, losing teeth hurts your smile’s appearance; there’s no doubt about that. Still, though, it can make your face look older too.
You see, your jaw needs teeth to maintain itself. Without a mouth full of chompers, it’ll lack the stimulus to preserve its bone tissue. Should that happen, your jawbone will start to erode gradually.
If untreated, jawbone erosion will lead to facial collapse – a condition that ages your face. In particular, losing jawbone density would make your cheeks look hollow and sunken. The result would be a face with saggy skin, wrinkles, and prominent frown lines.
Implants Prevent Premature Aging
Thankfully, dental implants can prevent and even reverse a facial collapse. Their unique features, in fact, make them the only restorations that can!
Implants stand out due to being placed directly in the jawbone. Unlike dentures or bridges, then, they fuse with your jaw and stimulate bone growth. Consequently, treatment keeps your face full and firm rather than saggy and misshapen.
How Best to Care for Dental Implants
While great, implants only help your face seem young when given proper care. You’ll thus need to look after them if you want lasting results. To that end, remember to practice the following tips:
- Clean Your Mouth at Home – Remember to brush twice daily, floss once daily, and rinse with mouthwash. Doing so will reduce your odds of bacteria-induced implant failure.
- Avoid Bad Oral Habits – You’ll likely crack your new teeth if you chew on ice or fingernails. Meanwhile, tobacco products trigger gum disease that causes implants to fail.
- Go to Dental Checkups – With regular checkups and cleanings, your local dentist can diagnose oral issues early. That way, they’ll treat dental problems before they threaten your implants.
Ultimately, implants will give you a full smile and a youthful face. So, go ahead and get some from your local dental practice!
About the Practice
Timeless Smiles is based in Morgan Hill, CA. Led by Dr. Jenny Hong, our practice offers excellent dentistry using the latest technology and methods. To that end, we perform high-quality preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, not to mention emergency oral care. Needless to say, you can also count on us for top-notch dental implants! For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (408)-763-3008.