Consequences of Missing All Teeth

Your natural teeth are held securely in place by their roots in the jawbone. Disease, decay, or trauma may lead to the loss of all of one’s teeth. The roots had previously stimulated the surrounding bone, maintaining the jaw’s natural shape. However, with no roots in place, the jawbone will begin to resorb or shrink, because it no longer serves the purpose that nature intended.

The effects of missing teeth extend far beyond just having a toothless jaw. When teeth are missing from the jaw, the jaw bone shrinks, as it is no longer stimulated by the roots. When all teeth are missing from the jawbone, the entire jaw shrinks and thins.

Take a look at the images below to see the progression of jaw bone shrinkage due to missing teeth. Here, we see the loss of bone height from a profile view. Note that as more bone is lost, vital structures – such as nerves – become exposed.

Advanced bone regeneration and bone preservation techniques can help preserve and restore the jaw bone, to make dental implant placement possible, even in cases of severe bone loss.

In cases where the upper jaw bone has receded, the sinus cavity can drop into the space below. In these cases, a Sinus Lift can be performed to return the sinus to its proper location, and once again make placing dental implants possible.

Come in for a free consultation to find out how dental implants can still be an option for you – even if you have experienced bone loss due to missing teeth.

Schedule Your Free Dental Implants Consultation If you are missing one or more teeth, or if you are struggling with uncomfortable dentures, come in for a free consultation to find out whether dental implants can still be an option for you – even if you have experienced bone loss due to missing teeth. Schedule an appointment with an experienced New York City periodontist or NYC dental implants provider by giving us a call, or request a consultationonline.