If you have lost one or more teeth, bone loss in your jaw can be a serious concern. The underlying jawbone will begin to deteriorate when you lose a tooth as it has lost the stimulation from the tooth root. This can lead to many changes in the appearance of your face and affect your oral function.
Dental implants such as all on 4 has a big impact on restoring the appearance of your smile and ensuring the function of your missing teeth. These implants can prevent bone loss in the jaw because these actually mimic your natural tooth roots. The implants which are titanium posts are implanted surgically into your jawbone and they will act as artificial roots. The implant will integrate with the bone surrounding it after the placement and this process is actually called osseointegration. This ensures that you have a stable and strong foundation to support a bridge, dental crown or denture. Your jawbone will receive essential stimulation by the dental implant which will help preserve bone density. When you lose a tooth, the surrounding bone will lose the stimulation that is needed to maintain its density and structure. This causes the bone to deteriorate or resorb. When this happens, you will see changes in your facial appearance. When your jawbone loses volume and density, this will lead to facial collapse where the facial muscles will lose the support given by the jawbone. This can be seen by sagging or shrinking of your lower face and this can cause premature ageing.
As dental implants provide continuous stimulation to the jawbone,
New bone cells are encouraged to grow contributing to your continuous bone density. The jawbone supports the facial muscles so that you can maintain facial symmetry. The dental implants can actually prevent facial collapse and ensure your facial contours are preserved so that you have a more youthful appearance. Your oral functionality will also improve with dental implants as bone loss can make it very difficult to smile, speak or chew properly. Your full chewing ability will be restored thanks to dental implants. You don’t have to worry about the dental implants shifting like what the traditional dentures are prone to do. You will be able to carry out your daily activities with more confidence and this will help improve your quality of life as well.
When you lose a tooth,
The adjacent teeth can actually shift into the empty space left behind and this can lead to misalignment of your teeth and issues with bite. With dental implants, the empty space is filled so you don’t have to worry about neighbouring teeth shifting. Your proper teeth alignment can be maintained along with bite function. This can actually prevent many dental issues and you will have a reduced risk for additional tooth loss. The neighbouring teeth will be supported by the dental implants and the chewing forces can be distributed evenly across your dental arch. This will prevent the adjacent teeth from being exposed to excessive wear and tear.
