Why Healthy Bone Matters
Your jawbone is literally the foundation of your smile. Your teeth are anchored in it and your gum tissue is wrapped tightly around it as a protective layer. Your smile esthetics and function depend heavily upon you having a strong, healthy jaw. So, what happens if you lose jawbone mass? You may have problems eating and speaking normally. Your face will take on a sunken, prematurely aged appearance. You may lose teeth. In fact, many patients who come to Seattle’s Best Smiles with severe bone loss wish to receive dental implants, but have been told they no longer qualify due to their bone loss. The good news is that there are multiple solutions for severe bone loss in Kirkland, WA – a condition best treated by a specialist with extensive training. Let’s take a look at why you lose bone and what you can do to regain it.
Severe Bone Loss Causes
Your tooth roots are firmly embedded in your jaws and help keep the bone healthy through the ongoing stimulation of chewing. Without those roots, the jaw loses its function and can begin to deteriorate in areas where teeth are no longer present. Tooth loss due to decay or oral trauma is a common reason for this. If you have dentures, while they give you back most of your dental function (your diet may be somewhat limited), they don’t replace the tooth roots you’ve lost. Dentures don’t provide protection for your jaws. Advanced gum disease, or periodontitis, is another common cause of bone loss that occurs when the bacteria eat away at the jawbone underneath the gums.
